


A Little Birdy Told Me

by ThatOneBrokenDeskYouHadToSitOn



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: All canon - Freeform, And I Mean MILD, Attempted Suicide, Blood, F/F, F/M, Gore, I kill everyone again your welcome, Kids in War, M/M, Multi, Same-sex love, Sorry Not Sorry, Violent Scenes, WW2, WW2 AU, War, WorldWarTwo - Freeform, fanfiction i've ever, mild sexual themes, please tell me what, posted here so, so mild that it might never come up again, tags will update as I go, this is my first, you think about it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:21:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 22,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27463351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatOneBrokenDeskYouHadToSitOn/pseuds/ThatOneBrokenDeskYouHadToSitOn
Summary: Annabeth never talks to anyone. Not since the soldiers came. She writes a note, all her hopes are dreams on it, ties it to a bird, and watches it fly off. She is shocked when a response comes, Who is it?Percy is a resistance nurse (He prefers doctor) when one day and bird with a note attached shows up at his base. When he sends a note back, he is surprised when someone responded. Who is it?Percabeth (World War II Au)
Relationships: Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Calypso & Leo Valdez, Clarisse La Rue/Chris Rodriguez, Hazel Levesque/Frank Zhang, Jason Grace/Piper McLean, Juniper/Grover Underwood, Luke Castellan/Octavian, Nico di Angelo/Will Solace, Reyna Avila Ramirez-Arellano/Thaila Grace
Comments: 6
Kudos: 19





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer

Hello! Thank you for clicking on my story! A few things first (major points are in **bold**.)

 **My work is my work alone.** While I do have a "beta reader" of some sort, that does not give anyone the right to use my work in any shape or form.

 **My work is not made to offend anyone.** While I do try to get all my facts straight, I'm human so if I make a mistake, please don't bash me for it. I'll correct it as I see fit.

 **My update schedule is speculation.** I may not update on the exact date. Sorry, but I have a life too.

 **Don't make reviews asking if I'll abandon the story.** I am not abandoning any of my stories.

 **I do not make "M" rated content.** Smut and all that jazz, but I may imply sexual...sexy fun time. _May,_ being the keyword people.

I do make one-shots from time to time, so if any of you enjoyed my work, it would be nice if you could check out my other stories.

My work is really for ages 13+. but if you believe that you have the right to read, I won't stop you.

P.M me anytime you have questions, or if you just want to talk, feel free to do so!

I love you all so much! Peace and justice!

* * *

A little birdy told me:

_The facts -_

**Slow burn.** This is a strangers-to-friends-to-lovers kinda story

 **All cannon.** I can not stress this enough. I took all the ships, one-sided or not, that Uncle Rick did, and I'm putting them in the story.

 **Updates are (about) twice a month.** I try to make my chapters a decent length, and for that I need time. I detest reviews asking me to 'pls update'. If anything, all that does is push the publication date back further. So don't do that :)

 **My average word count is about 3,000+ words.** It may not seem like a lot (at least to me), but my chapters are thick with detail, and I write long sentences, which leads to long chapters, to long stories. If you have a problem with my chapter length/word count, be sure to tell me, and I'll try to make my chapters longer, and I'll update once a month. Sound great? I didn't think so.

_If you have any questions, concerns, worries, or suggestions, please do not hesitate to leave them in the comments, or to pm me. My pms are always open._


	2. Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A simple introduction to the characters

_Title:_ A little birdy told me

 _Fandom:_ PJO/HoO

 _Warnings:_ abuse, cutting, suicidal thoughts, blood, gore, attempted suicide, war, PTSD

Guys, very important note. I am not German. All facts from my story come from a World War II book and read, as well as research I have done. I won't start telling people to wear Swastika's, but please do not start a flame war in the comments or something about how "Evil Germans are," or how "I should repent for daring to wring 'Nazi' or 'Swastika'". Don't. Just don't.

 _Summary:_ Annabeth never talks to anyone. Not since the soldiers came. She writes a note, all her hopes are dreams on it, ties it to a bird, and watches it fly off. She is shocked when a response comes, Who is it?

Percy is a resistance nurse (He prefers doctor) when one day and bird with a note attached shows up at his base. When he sends a note back, he is surprised when someone responded. Who is it?

Percabeth (World War II Au)

 _Characters:_ Percy Jackson, Frank Zhang, Leo Valdez, Reyna Avila Ramirez-Arellano, Hazel Levesque, Jason Grace, Annabeth Chase, Octavian Simmons, Rachel Elizabeth Dare, Thaila Grace, Luke Castellan, Bianca Di Angelo, Ethan Nakamura, Nico DiAngelo, Chiron, Selena Beauregard, Clarisse La Rue, Will Solace, Thanatos, Kronos

**Prologue**

_A little birdy told me_

Wind.

It used to smell like the flowers upon the mountainside.

The creek.

It used to be fresh, crystal clear, and so clean, you could drink straight from it.

When the soldiers came, everything changed. Annabeth was not allowed to the mountainside. she couldn't go swim in the creek.

9 pm sharp is when she was expected to be in the house.

The smell of sulfur hit her nose. She scrunched it up, trying to block out the smell.

She hadn't seen her friend Reyna in years. Probably because she was Jewish.

Stupid Nazi's.

Being Jewish doesn't always equal being evil. If anything, they should listen to what people say about them.

they tear lives apart, sending one person after the other to concentration camps. Smoke rose from somewhere in the distance.

 _Budʹ oberezhnyy (Be careful),_ Her mother always told her, _Odnoho razu tsi zhakhlyvi choloviky pobachatʹ vas i vytyahnut! (_ _One day these horrible men will see you and snatch you away!). Then she would tickle Annabeth's stomach, and she would let out a laugh of happiness, and pure joy._

A splatter of bird poop hit her face. She sighed, and wiped it off, sniffed her hand then pulling back from the horrible smell.

Joy.

Those were the old days, and Annabeth knew that. Her only hope was that one day the old days would become the new days, and the German soldiers would be driven away from her land.

 _"Halt! (Stop!)"_ She heard a soldier call out. Two gunshots. Annabeth quickened her pace.

Some day.

She turned to look at the church, once brilliantly shining marble white, wooden fences straight and sturdy, now reduced to ruble. The soldiers had taken every single hymn book, ever prayer stool, even the picture of the Virgin Mary that had hung right at the alter where the priest had preached.

Priests were banned now. Prayer was forbidden. Her very way of life was ripped away from her and guarded with dogs and reinforced with guns.

Their priest had once told the collective that guns and violence could not solve everything, and that one must pray and hope God takes mercy on them. They had to preach peacefully, and show people what they were doing wrong through speech.

The Germans must have had a different education then Annabeth.

Annabeth looked at the top of the mountains one last time before turning a corner to the crumbling bakery that she now called home.

It smelled bad inside the building. Many people, not just Annabeth lived here now. Her own home, like many others, had burned down when the Nazi's had come. There wasn't anywhere else for them to go, for the Nazi's would kill anyone harboring someone in their own home. They were reduced to living off scrapes and sleeping in flea invested beds filled with old clothes.

Their neighbors took pity on them, and when they could, brought food that could be consumed. Annabeth found the spot she usually rested in occupied by a crying little boy. She almost snapped at him before remembering that he was just like her.

Alone, scared, cold, and hungry. Annabeth sighed, and wrapped her jacket around the poor boys shoulders. The boy stiffened, and turned around, eyes wide with fear.

"Don't cry," She told him. "We'll be fine. I promise,"

The Nazi's captured the next day, and Annabeth's eyes caught the eyes of the boy she had comforted the day before.

 _You promised,_ He mouthed before he was dragged into a train car. Annabeth too was dragged off, left to wonder what came next.

…

Percy is bored. He shouldn't be, since he is working behind the scenes. Looking at first hand experience from the war, counting the dead, burying the bodies. But no. No one pays attention to him, because they only think of him as a lowly nurse.

He snorts at the irony.

Lowly indeed.

He couldn't even count the number of people he had saved, the amount of time his had cut of a leg, the number of times he did the impossible, saving the damned and the doomed.

He looked up at their "roof" and he could see the small slits of light that shown through the mounds and tons and pounds of dirt and roots above them. He could hear the birds chirping and he could hear the squirrels scurrying above him. The sound of crunching leaves from footsteps was there as well, although he couldn't tell if they were friend or foe. Percy was at home here, hidden, and surrounded by the trees, buried under the ground, the only safe place from an underground resistance.

He had grown up with the woods. He knew how to take mushrooms and make a poison dart, knocking soldiers (or people in the operation rooms) out in seconds, like on the black-and-white moving pictures he's heard off. Movies, they were called. He wanted to see them. His mother had promised that one day he would see them. Percy would wait for it.

He listened again, annoyed by the still silence. Gunshots fire in the distance, and Percy closes his eyes, presses his hands together, and prays.

 _Chris,_ He prayed, _Clarisse, Pozhaluysta Vernis'._

He sighed. Less bored, and more afraid. With how close the gunshots were, he would be sewing legs back together, and the resistance would move again. Running from the war, from the guns, from the Nazi's. Running.

Percy sighed, and set out his doctoral equipment.

Fuck this war.


	3. It has begun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabeth's capture and Percy's saving of Chris

_Title:_ A little birdy told me

 _Fandom:_ PJO/HoO

 _Warnings:_ abuse, cutting, suicidal thoughts, blood, gore, attempted suicide, war, PTSD

Guys, very important note. I am not German. All facts from my story come from a World War II book and read, as well as research I have done. I won't start telling people to wear Swastika's, but please do not start a flame war in the comments or something about how "Evil Germans are," or how "I should repent for daring to wring 'Nazi' or 'Swastika'". Don't. Just don't.

 _Summary:_ Annabeth never talks to anyone. Not since the soldiers came. She writes a note, all her hopes are dreams on it, ties it to a bird, and watches it fly off. She is shocked when a response comes, Who is it?

Percy is a resistance nurse (He prefers doctor) when one day and bird with a note attached shows up at his base. When he sends a note back, he is surprised when someone responded. Who is it?

Percabeth (World War II Au)

 _Characters:_ Percy Jackson, Frank Zhang, Leo Valdez, Reyna Avila Ramirez-Arellano, Hazel Levesque, Jason Grace, Annabeth Chase, Octavian Simmons, Rachel Elizabeth Dare, Thaila Grace, Luke Castellan, Bianca Di Angelo, Ethan Nakamura, Nico DiAngelo, Chiron, Selena Beauregard, Clarisse La Rue, Will Solace, Thanatos, Kronos

**It has begun**

_A little birdy told me_

Chapter One

Annabeth grunted as she felt her body being thrown into the train.

"Bleib dort, du dreckiges russisches Schwein(Stay there, you filthy Russian swine)," a soldier pushed her ruffly.

Annabeth blanched. She was not Russian she was Ukrainian. And why was she a pig? She was only dirty because she never had clean clothes. She stayed neat, never spoke out of turn. Why this? Why now?

"Eat," said a boy, no more than five years older than her. He pushed a bowl filled with a watery gray substance. She sniffed it.

"Oh, for goddess sake! Just eat it! You won't ever get another meal ever again, so enjoy your last," the girl mumbled the last part.

"Oh, hush Thaila," the boy turned to her.

"My name is Luke, and this is Thaila. Over there is Ethen, Alabaster, Drew, and Octavian," He pointed to each one as he said their names.

"My name is Annabeth. Annabeth Chase. And-" she looked around the train. The only source of light came through from narrow slits in the boarded-up window," -I'm not entirely sure how I got here," she finished.

"A lot of us are like that," Drew told her gently. "We all have," she looked at Thaila, "Or had family we loved and cared for. Some of us didn't even do anything. Luke is here because he likes guys, which is apparently a sin according to the Nazi's," Annabeth gave Luke a sympathetic glance. We waved her off.

"It's fine. Let them lock me up. Mark my words, those Nazi's will pay for what they have done,"

"Here, here!" came the collective cry,"

The train slowly began to shutter to a stop, and the door slid open. A young girl, dark skin, even darker thanks to soot and dirt, multi-colored eyes, and a feather in her hair, was pushed into the train at gunpoint. She was carrying two pails. The soldier behind her, with his dark curls and even darker eyes, and olive-colored skin, pushed her in at gunpoint. He turned and looked at Luke.

"1824," he said. Luke nodded. The soldiers' eyes softened, then resumed its hard glare.

"Get in already!" he yelled at the girl. Annabeth reached out her hand and helped her in.

"Thank you," she said softly. She held up the pails. "I bring food,"

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

"Percy! Torn ligament! What's your call?" Grover asked him, running beside Percy as he inspected the new admitted to the infirmary. One of the benefits of being a nurse, no, doctor. He knew what to do, and when to do it, and people would listen to him for once.

"Put him under! With the way that wound is bleeding, it's much worse than torn anything!" He muttered a curse. Where were the sedatives? Ah, here they were. He stabbed the needle into Chris's thigh. When he woke up, Percy was going to give him a run for his money. After Clarrise was done with him. He frowned. Oh, this was not good. Chris's ACL was completely damaged. He might not be able to walk after this. Broken humorous, and a displaced femur. The top of the femur glistened with blood and stuck out from the flesh. He would need stitches. Percy raised the vial of sedative. He frowned. It didn't look like there would be enough.

"Needle," Percy stuck out a hand.

"Needle," Grover said.

"Thread,"

"Thread,"

"Water please,"

Grover poured drops of water to keep the area Percy was working on relatively clean. With careful movements, Percy stitched up Chris, wrapped his leg and arm, and gave him one final shot of sedative.

"Damn it. That was the last batch," Percy muttered. "Call Chiron, and ask him how long I'll have to wait for a material mission,"

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .

"So, where are you all from?" They stared at Annabeth as if she was crazy.

"Excuse me?" Octavian asked after an uncomfortable moment of silence.

"Where did you come from? Before the war?"

Drew shifted nervously. "I was in a brothel." Annabeth smiled at her. "It wasn't your fault. You had your reasons,"

Drew returned the smile hesitantly.

"I'm German," Octavian said. His blonde and blue eyes gave it away though. "My parents wanted Hitler to adopt me, they loved him so much. Me, not so much. I helped stage an attack on Nazi's, they found me out, and here we are,"

"Thaila and I are Polish," Annabeth nodded thoughtfully. "Thals had a younger brother but-" He looked down, "-He-" Thaila cut him off.

"He was taken away from my family because he looked like the perfect German boy. They're going to brainwash him there, send him off to a new family, and he'll never want to come home," She sniffed. Annabeth frowned. She had heard of those places. Blonde-haired and blue-eyed children were sent there to learn how to be perfect German children, then they were taken to new families. Poor Thaila.

"Stupid Nazi's," Ethen nodded.

"I was a resistance fighter, but we were caught," He pointed to his eye patch. "That's when I lost this,"

"Dabbled in folk magic. It's not real, of course, but no one told the Nazis that. Apparently, the 'weird kid' is perfect for camps like this."

"Camp?' Annabeth questioned.

"Concentration camps," Piper spoke up softly. "Making bombs, cleaning, cooking, working us to death. Those camps,"

"Kryvavi dyyavoly (Bloody devils)," Luke cursed.

"Wicked," Octavian agreed.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .

"No,"

"But-" Percy started to protest.

"No,"

"Mushrooms. 20 mushrooms are all I need,"

"Our soldiers are strong. You'll be able to operate on them with the sedatives,"

"What about enemy soldiers? We use sedatives on them too!"

"The Germans have gotten too close to our base. We're moving to a new location,"

"But-"

"No. And don't even think about sneaking out,"

Percy frowned. His hand went up to the tuft of white hair on his head.

"No, dad, I wouldn't do that. I remember enough from last time," Chiron sighed. Percy never called him 'dad'. It wasn't as if everyone didn't know they were related, they just tended to keep in on the dow-low. Chiron faced his son.

"Thank you, Percy," As he turned to walk away, he stopped. "And Percy?" Percy looked up hopefully. "If you come across any of these 'mushrooms' that you need, get them,"

Percy offered a two-fingered mock salute. "You got it, boss,"

Chiron sighed. That boy would be the death of him.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .

"What does '1824' mean?" asked Annabeth. The others looked at each other.

"Time," Luke said. Annabeth waited for him to elaborate. He didn't.

The train hissed and groaned as it came to its final stop.

"Out!" yelled the same soldier that had brought Piper. Annabeth watched him, hoping for a smile or nod, but all she got was a harsh glare.

"Move!" he yelled again. Why was he yelling? She was standing right there.

"Come on," Thaila dragged her away.

"Undress here," a soldier told her. In front of the boys? How embarrassing. Luke whispered something to the rest of the boys. They turned around, facing the other way. Annabeth suppressed a smile. She couldn't let them see her happiness, lest they try and take it away.

Cold, shivering, and naked, Annabeth was herded into a lineup with the other girls. She was shaved bald and pushed into the showers. All the had for soap was bleaching powder, and they were sprayed with lice killer. Annabeth eye's burned. They were taken to a hot water shower, and Annabeth felt the dirt run down of her. Little black worms swirled down the drain. The shower was over all too soon.

"Get your clothes here!" Annabeth looked through the pile of clothes, looking for the dress she had been wearing when she got here.

"Who took my clothes?" She asked aloud. A thud. It took Annabeth a while to realize she had been beaten. She touched the back of her head, and her fingers came back glistening including blood.

"No talking," She grabbed the best piece of clothing she could find, and put it on. She was pushed back into a group.

"I'm scared," She told Luke. He glanced down at her,"

"Don't be afraid, Malenʹkyy buzok," Little lilac. No one had called her that in a while. Not since her mother died. Not since Reyna disappeared. She stood up a little taller.

Little lilac indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Question: Do you guys want quick updates, but short chapters, or long updates and long chapters? And don't expect me to update this fast all the time. I already had this written out, I just needed to edit, and format it. Also, I changed the age of Annabeth and Percy. And if you wanted to know, the book I'm using is 'Making bombs for Hitler'.
> 
> -ThatOneBrokenDeskYouHadToSitOn


	4. A meeting of friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percy and the gang meet up with some old friends and gain some interesting knowledge...

_Title:_ A little birdy told me

 _Fandom:_ PJO/HoO

 _Warnings:_ abuse, cutting, suicidal thoughts, blood, gore, attempted suicide, war, PTSD

Guys, very important note. I am not German. All facts from my story come from a World War II book and read, as well as research I have done. I won't start telling people to wear Swastika's, but please do not start a flame war in the comments or something about how "Evil Germans are," or how "I should repent for daring to wring 'Nazi' or 'Swastika'". Don't. Just don't.

 _Summary:_ Annabeth never talks to anyone. Not since the soldiers came. She writes a note, all her hopes are dreams on it, ties it to a bird, and watches it fly off. She is shocked when a response comes, Who is it?

Percy is a resistance nurse (He prefers doctor) when one day and bird with a note attached shows up at his base. When he sends a note back, he is surprised when someone responded. Who is it?

Percabeth (World War II Au)

 _Characters:_ Percy Jackson, Frank Zhang, Leo Valdez, Reyna Avila Ramirez-Arellano, Hazel Levesque, Jason Grace, Annabeth Chase, Octavian Simmons, Rachel Elizabeth Dare, Thaila Grace, Luke Castellan, Bianca Di Angelo, Ethan Nakamura, Nico DiAngelo, Chiron, Selena Beauregard, Clarisse La Rue, Will Solace, Thanatos, Kronos

**A meeting of friends**

_A little birdy told me_

Chapter Two

"Percy, we have to go. Now!" Grover yelled.

"I know! I know.." Percy mumbled. "But the medicine.." he trailed off, a nostalgic expression darted across his face.

"Leave them!" Grover tugged at his shoulder.

"No!" He snapped at him, shrugging off the hand.

"Percy." Grover grabbed his hand, and Percy was forced to look at him. Grover's curls were sweaty, and the wispy goatee on his chin was quivering.

"Don't cry, man. If you cry, I cry, and I don't want to cry." A tear rolled down Percy's cheek.

"One backpack," Grover exhaled. "Chiron already has the bandages."

The building shook. A boom came from outside. Percy grunted as he felt the bunker shake. A metal beam came down, just missing his head. This is what he got for saving a German soldier. Of course, he would have come back with reinforcements.

"Percy, I love you, but we have to go!" Percy stuffed a backpack full of medicines and his book. The book of natural remedies. He vividly remembered the day his mother had given it to him.

_"Happy birthday, Percy!" His mom exclaimed. She brought his bright blue birthday cake, frosting a pale white in contrast to the rest of the cake. His eyes sparkled with joy as his sea-green eyes caught sight of the blue cake._

_"Make a wish!" The smile on his face threatened to split it in half. Rachel, behind him, blew out his candles like she did every year. An inside joke between them. Once, when he was younger, he had blown out her candles as a joke. Ever since then, she had blown out his candles as retaliation for his so-called misdeed. His dad from next to chuckled._

_"Have you made your wish?" He asked._

_"Yup," He smiled wider._

_"Are you finally going to tell us this year? His brother Tyson asked._

_"Nope," He answered cheekily._

_"Well, cake aside, I have something for you," She pulled out a carefully wrapped gift, and Percy looked at her with wonder._

_"Open it, or I will,"_

_"Shut up Rachel," He carefully removed the wrapping and gasped in shock._

_Hildegard of Bingen's Medicine, the first edition. "How-" He stopped uncertainty, marveling at its cover, "-How did you get this?"_

_"Eh, pulled some strings here and there," His mother waved him off. "What's important is if you like it or not,"_

_"If I like it?" He sputtered. "If I like it?" He asked again. "It's the first edition! One of it's kind! I could never even dream of having this book!"_

_Sally's mouth curved into a faint smile as she noticed her son's joy. The times ahead would test them. Adolf Hitler was gaining power day by day. But today was for Percy. Today was for family. She wouldn't- couldn't worry about the shadow of a possible war looming in front of them. Chiron- her husband- squeezed her hand reassuringly, knowing the pessimistic thoughts flitting around in her head. They watched the children exclaim in delight. This would probably be the last time love, care and happiness would bloom in this house. Both the parents exchanged anxious glances but were broken out of their train of thought._

_"Since he's nerding out, I'm going to go with likes it," a teasing voice called out._

_"Thanatos, you and Rachel are both horrible people,"_

_His cousin laughed his big hearty laugh, a peal of laughter so contagious, that everyone soon joined in, filling the room with a sense of happiness. At that moment, Percy didn't need anything else besides his friends, family, and his mom._

The sound of a bomb going off again drowned out the sound of laughter, now faint in his ears.

His eyes lingered on the cover, and then he shoved it in with the rest of the contents of the backpack.

"Okay, ready!"

The room shook again. Dust went into his eyes. The stinging smell of bomb powder burned his nose, and He stifled a sneeze and slammed his hands against the rusted metal door. The door groaned open, and the duo was met face-to-face with a fuming Clarisse. Percy could almost see the smoke coming from her ears, and he had a sudden flashback as to what Clarisse would look like a bull.

"Finally! Do you know how long we waited?"

"Two minutes?" drawled Percy, unimpressed.

"That's enough time for those dogs to shoot us down," She glared harshly at him. Percy opened his mouth to protest, but Chiron shot him a warning look.

"Poshli! (Let's go/move out)". They walked for miles through the lush green forest, occasionally stopping when they saw German bandit hunters.

"Look," Chris pointed at a clearing, where a young girl with bright red hair was limping to a tree. A bearded man with a rifle raised his gun, aiming it at her back. Sliding off the safety latch, he fired, and time seemed to stand still.

The girl straightened her leg and ducked. She ran at the soldier as he desperately tried to fire at her, now scared for his life and wellbeing. She kicked in his lower regions, and he stumbled backward, falling hard. He'd probably have a concussion, Percy guessed.

"Pathetic," Clarisse said, but a smile on her face betrayed her. She was enjoying this way too much.

In one quick movement, the girl wrestled the gun away from him and shot the man square in the head. She turned to look at their group, eyes catching Percy's. She smiled. He smiled back.

"Hello, Oracle," Chiron said.

"Boss. Mini-boss," She said, looking at Chiron and then Percy.

"Very funny Rachel,"

She laughed.

"Hello, spasitel' (savior). I have some news from the front,"

"Wouldn't expect any less from our oracle," Percy's fellow nurse (again, doctor) Will said.

"Solnechnyy luchik (sunlight), watch it," Chiron said. Will raised his hands in a defensive position.

"Chiron, we can't stay here. We're too exposed, and if we want to make camp before dark, we have to go now," Clarisse said, eyes darting around, looking for danger. Chris circled their perimeter. Chiron frowned.

"Clarisse is right," He motioned for Chris, who moved to the back. Clarisse went to the front, and the Stoll brothers, Travis and Connor, flanking at the group at the sides.

…

After traveling for ten days, the air had become colder. They were nearing the mountainside, hoping for safety. With a big group like theirs, it might be hard to navigate the mountain terrain, but when Percy brought it up with Chiron, he dismissed him.

"We'll be fine,"

Percy grumbled. "I hope so,"

"Come on" Chiron chided gently, "don't be so glum and pessimistic. Our group needs a little bit of optimism right now."

Percy whirled out to face Chiron, "Well, what good did optimism do to Mom, your wife and my mother!" he countered with an undercurrent of rage.

Sadness and hurt flickered in Chiron's eyes, they rarely mentioned Sally. She had been presumed Missing In Action after she disappeared without a trace, at the peak of Hitler's reign. Most people in their group believed her to be dead- captured by the German soldiers, but few like Chiron and Tyson hoped that he was still alive, somewhere out there...

Percy sighed softly, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to lash out like that... It's just-"

"I know, I understand my boy."

"Don't call me "your boy". I am my own man," He puffed out his chest. Clarisse snickered at that. Percy huffed and stuck out his tongue at her. She stuck out her own back at him.

"Chiron said to be optimistic, not act like hoodlums," Rachel told them.

"Lay off Rachel. They're just goofing off a bit," Grover defended the two.

"Goofing off will get them killed." She stated. The mood returned to one of gloom.

"Mood killer," Travis said under a badly disguised cough. Rachel glowered at him, and he held up his hands in defense.

The others walked along, while Chiron limped along.

_Limped? When did that happen?_

It was quiet in the woods, quiet enough that Percy could hear his feet crunching the dry leaves even though he stepped quietly, as to not alert others of their presence. He stopped walking, causing Will to bump into him.

"What was that for?" Will asked as he rubbed his bruising nose.

"Listen," Percy hissed. The group stopped at their trained ears and tried to detect noise.

"Perseus, there isn't a sound," Chiron turned to glare at his son. "Why did you-" Percy cut him off.

"Where are the birds?" He asked. The group tensed. Where were the birds? There was no sound. Almost as if-

"Get down!" Chris yelled. He tackled Rachel to the ground, who in turn pulled Percy down. Percy let out a yelp. All around them bombshells went off, embedded in the ground. The only way someone could have down this is if they knew they were coming.

Psst.

A needle had been shot into his arm. His vision blurred. He saw a flash of black and green in the trees. The last thing he remembered was the feeling of someone carrying him, a warmth that he only remembered from his mother.

* * *

When he awoke again, the first thing he did was break the fingers of the person hovering above him. He grabbed the arm and bent the fingers back farther than nature intended them to. A sicking crunch was heard, and a groan of pain. Percy lurched out of bed, twisting the arm in his grasp. He put his foot on the radial artery, knowing full well that if he felt provoked, death would be inevitable in as little as two minutes.

"Who are you, and where is my crew?!" He shouted at the stranger.

"Get off me first," Percy didn't answer and instead pressed his foot down harder. The person below him seemed to know a thing or two about anatomy because he tensed up as he felt the pressure on his neck. Percy pushed on the Brachial artery that ran inside the arm. Serving it would result in death in 90 seconds, and his patience was wearing thin.

"The left side! For right turns! Please, get off me!" Percy complied.

The man jerked around, holding Percy at gunpoint.

"Rule number one: Never trust strangers," He smirked. "I guess the rumors about who aren't true, spasitel,"

"I wouldn't be so sure," Rachel said from behind him. In the corner of his eye line, Percy had seen Rachel regain consciousness, and knew that two-on-one, even if one had a gun, would be better than one-on-one. The man raised his hands in surrender.

"I am spasitel to man," Percy warned him harshly. "I save and preserve life. I won't hesitate to take it either if it means ending this war,"

"Then if you'll kindly get off our inside man, you can end this war faster,"

Percy whipped his head around to face the man who just walked it. His cousin Thanatos emerged from the doorway. Percy forgot about the man on the floor and ran straight into the open arms of his cousin. He still smelled like cinnamon and mothballs.

Percy pushed away from his cousin to get a good look at his face. His playful smirk was still there, but his eyes looked like shattered glass, heartbroken, and hard from the horrors of war. There was a scar on the lower left side of his cheek, and his hair wasn't as long as it was before. Instead of a small ponytail that tied at the nape of his neck, he sported an undercut, looking surprisingly well-cut considering that barbers were non-existent nowadays.

The man on the floor made a show of dusting his pants, even though there wasn't anything on them.

"My name is Nico," the man introduced. He stuck out a hand so Percy could shake it. Percy made no move to do so, and the man slowly lowered his hand.

"Persues, but please, by all means, continue to call me spasitel since it is all you know me as," he answered back snarkily.

"Percy," Rachel warned. "We are guests here, and we should be respectful," She looked up at Thanatos. "Long time no see," She said.

"You as well, Miss Oracle. Any news from the front?" While Rachel left to update Thanatos about news from the war, Percy turned back to look at the cocky bastard who called himself 'Nico'.

Nico looked at him with a wide smile. "I'm sure you'd like to see the rest of your team. This way, please."

* * *

Clarisse had laughed straight in Nico's face when Percy told her how easily he and Rachel had taken him down.

"And you call yourself a soldier! Ha!" She chuckled.

"Glad you find me so amusing." Nico gave her a thin smile. Clarisse barked out another laugh.

"Oh, I do," Chris smiled warmly at Nico and stuck out his hand. "Chris Rodriguez,"

Nico accepted the hand with a warm smile. "Nico DiAngelo. You are much nicer than your friend here," He gestured to Percy. Chris laughed as Percy's face darkened.

'Oh, he's like that to every new person. It took him a while to get used to me since-" Clarisse elbowed him. Chris cleared his throat. "Doesn't matter. He'll warm up to you eventually."

"I wouldn't count on it," Percy muttered. Nico frowned.

"Uh, how about a tour?" Will asked, breaking up a potential fight. Or maybe because he wanted to keep "Mr. Death" talking. It looked like somebody had a crush…

Chiron was lying in a cot, leg suspended in the oar.

"Dad!" Percy exclaimed. He immediately winced. He didn't know the people around him. Now that they knew how important Chiron was to Percy, they might use that against him. But the doctors there acted as if they didn't know him.

Chiron smiled warmly. "Percy, how are you?"

He snorted. "Better than you. My leg isn't broken. When did this happen?"

"Scouting mission. I didn't want to slow us down." He admitted.

"You sir, are absolutely crazy," Clarisse stated, but her eyes held a level of concern only reserved for people she truly cared about. Percy had seen it many times before.

"Thank you for that assessment Clarisse,"

She nodded as if she didn't pick up the sarcasm in Chiron's voice.

"Chiron! Good to see you!" Thanatos exclaimed as he entered the room with Rachel.

"You as well, Thanatos," Chiron nodded in his direction.

"I'm afraid that with the information our scouts have brought, and news from the front from Rachel, we have a bit of a problem on our hands."

"What is it? Percy asked incredulously.

"Uh, well," Thanatos scratched the back of his neck.

"Spit it out!" Clarisse demanded.

"It seems our newest camp has caught one of our spies. Luke, I believe." He looked at Nico for confirmation. Nico nodded in agreement.

"Is that going to be a huge problem?" Percy asked.

"Not huge, but..." He trailed off.

"General Koronos is coming to check up on him." Rachel finished for him. Nico raised a surprised eyebrow at Thanatos.

"You told her?" He questioned. Thanatos nodded.

"Rachel is of highest clearance,"

"Okay, awesome, but what are we going to do to fix the said problem?" Percy asked, getting the conversation back on track. Thanatos scratched his chin.

"One of us needs to get in that camp," He said.

"You don't mean to say…" Chiron started but was cut off by Thanatos.

"One of us needs to caught by the Nazis."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because what is war without code names? Will is sunshine, just because I can. Rachel is Oracle because she brings Percy and the gang news about the war. Percy is savior, and I don't feel like telling you guys why yet. But it has something to do with his white tuft of hair, and why he won't sneak out. I wanted to focus on Percy a little more, which is why there is no Annabeth, but next chapter, I'll focus on Annabeth. Then, I'll go back to how I usually switch between them. Unless you guys don't want that, and I can just focus on one character at a time.
> 
> Since I made Nico an 'undercover soldier', there will be no 'I had a crush on Percy'. SIKE. The Germans had children working those camps as soldiers, so yes, small Nico. 14 will be his age in this fic, there will be some 'I had a crush on Percy' but the endgame is Solangelo.
> 
> ALL CANNON SHIPS. Percabeth for sure, but if there are some cannon ships besides the ones I've mentioned (Percabeth, Solangelo) that you would like me to change, I'll be sure to listen to your input.
> 
> If you have any story ideas, please leave them in the comments, don't forget to go into detail if you want to see something specific, or pm me with the subject being 'A little birdy told me: Story ideas', and I'll get to you as soon as possible.
> 
> This story has now been cross-posted on FFN and I'm starting to get on Wattpad. I am on Tumbler, just for the sake of being on Tumbler (and my Klance comics)
> 
> Love y'all! Peace and Justice!
> 
> -BrokenDesk


	5. Falling into place

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabeth is settling in to her new "home".

_Title:_ A little birdy told me

 _Fandom:_ PJO/HoO

 _Warnings:_ abuse, cutting, suicidal thoughts, blood, gore, attempted suicide, war, PTSD

Guys, very important note. I am not German. All facts from my story come from a World War II book and read, as well as research I have done. I won't start telling people to wear Swastika's, but please do not start a flame war in the comments or something about how "Evil Germans are," or how "I should repent for daring to wring 'Nazi' or 'Swastika'". Don't. Just don't.

 _Summary:_ Annabeth never talks to anyone. Not since the soldiers came. She writes a note, all her hopes are dreams on it, ties it to a bird, and watches it fly off. She is shocked when a response comes, Who is it?

Percy is a resistance nurse (He prefers doctor) when one day and bird with a note attached shows up at his base. When he sends a note back, he is surprised when someone responded. Who is it?

Percabeth (World War II Au)

 _Characters:_ Percy Jackson, Frank Zhang, Leo Valdez, Reyna Avila Ramirez-Arellano, Hazel Levesque, Jason Grace, Annabeth Chase, Octavian Simmons, Rachel Elizabeth Dare, Thaila Grace, Luke Castellan, Bianca Di Angelo, Ethan Nakamura, Nico DiAngelo, Chiron, Selena Beauregard, Clarisse La Rue, Will Solace, Thanatos, Kronos

**Falling into place**

_A little birdy told me_

Chapter Three

"Line up! Two lines! Girls and boys!" a soldier shouted. Annabeth and the others, cold, shivering, and bald, were pushed into two lines. Annabeth thankfully ended up behind Thalia. She tilted her head slightly forward, and whispered, "What about Luke?" Her voice barely reached her through all the noise.

A ragged breath escaped Thalia. "He's a tough kid. He'll be okay," Thaila assured her, but there was still a hint of worry in her voice. Annabeth returned to facing forward, shivering in the winter air. Her breath escaped her like clouds of smoke, billowing from her mouth. Her nose felt cold, and she had a suspicious feeling that it was red-rimmed from the cold.

After a dozen or so girls had joined her line, an old woman walked through the crowd handing each girl their barrack number. "To your barracks! Quickly! There was a hustle and bustle as the girls tried to get to their barracks in the most unorderly fashion possible. Annabeth watched as Thaila was assigned to a different barrack. She wanted to call out for her, but she held her tongue. No one needed to know how much Thaila meant to her yet.

"Lights out at seven!" she announced.

Barrack thirty-three, she read. Annabeth followed a few older girls, who hopefully knew where they were going; to barrack thirty-three. Gravel crunched under her feet, digging in the soles. It was a pity that they didn't give shoes, along with better clothes to them too...

She hugged her arms around herself, struggling and failing to ignore the biting cold wind grazing her bare arms. Her eyes stung from the lice killer, and the smell of bomb-powder filled her nose.

…

The room was horrible. The meager heat radiating from the heater placed in the corner didn't provide any respite from the chill penetrating her bones. Another girl had already taken the bunk closest to the heat, leaving Annabeth with little hope that she might stay warm in the cold, snowy winter of Germany.

A small stool was placed in the center of the room. It was probably for placing announcements, she guessed. The room was bare if one did not count bits of peeled out paint littering the floor. A rat scuttled out from under a bed, and Annabeth wrinkled her in disgust.

About twelve other girls swarmed around her, scrambling for beds. Annabeth trembled slightly at the chaos. She wanted to go home.

This is your home now, she reminded herself fiercely. You are going to live here. Forever.

Nearly all the girls had chosen their bunks, only a few other beds were left, directly in the line of the icy draft. Cursing herself at her foolishness for not being quick enough, she darted over to one of the beds. She lay down on the mattress and was startled by its feel. She moved her hand over the surface, little needle-like things making up the stuffing of the mattress. She moved her hand to the pillow and realized they were both made of the same thing.

"Straw," A girl told her. Annabeth turned to face her. She looked younger than Annabeth, though not by much. Her eyes seemed to shift from blue to green to brown to purple, going through the spectrum of colors. She, like Annabeth, was completely bald, but Annabeth could see the brownish tufts that would have been her hair color.

"The beds are made of straw," The girl repeated. Annabeth blanched. Not only did they call them pigs, but they were forced to share bedding with them?

"They are vile filth," a familiar voice said.

"Drew!" Annabeth wrapped her arms around her. "I didn't know we'd be sharing a barrack!"

"I didn't either, Molodsha sestra (Littler sister), but here we are." Annabeth saw the other girls shift uneasily. One girl was crying in the upper bunk, just above the bed Annabeth had claimed. Annabeth bit her lip. Here they all were a pathetic lot. Crying, cold, captured and sleeping on beds made of straw.

"Let's introduce ourselves!" The girl who had spoken to Annabeth first said. "My name is Piper Maklin (McLean), I'm from Ukrainian, and I'm 12 years old." Whispers broke out when Piper mentioned her age. Her smile dimmed.

"Is there something wrong with being 12?" She asked, her voice forced, as she seethed in anger.

"No, no!" Another girl said hastily. "My name is Silena Beauregard, I'm 17-" cue the ooh's. She had to at least be the oldest girl here, "-and I'm Polish. It's just that," Silena looked down, refusing to meet Piper's eyes, "The youngest are always the ones who are taken first."

"For what?" Piper asked.

"The hospital." She shuddered. "I don't know what happens there, but it's nothing good."

Piper didn't look convinced, but she dropped the subject. "So you've been here for a while?"

Silena nodded. "Almost 8 months now," She looked out the small window, covered in wooden boards, but small slits allowed feeble light in. "What I wouldn't give to see the outside properly again. No war, no pain, no bodies lying in my path…" Silena trailed off. Silence followed her statement. Annabeth was sure everyone would have liked to see that.

"My name is Calypso-" Another piped up.

"And my name is Zoe. Both of us are Nocny Cień's (Nightshades). Sisters," She added.

"And we're both 13. And German," Calypso added. There were a few hesitant faces. Calypso's and Zoe's faces fell, and they looked down.

"Hey, guys!" Piper piped up. "Just because they're German, doesn't make them Nazi's." A few girls managed bashful faces and offered shy smiles. Calypso and Zoe perked up.

"Drew Tanaka, Polish, and I'm 15," Everyone turned to look at her expectantly. Annabeth realized with a start she was the only one who had not introduced herself.

"Oh! Uh, my name is Annabeth Pościg (Chase), I'm 13," She smiled at the twins who beamed back at her, "and I'm from Ukrainian," She then smiled at Piper, who sent her a thumbs up.

"Wonderful," a sudden voice called from the hallway. It was the same woman that had given Annabeth her piece of paper that had had her barrack number on it. "Now that you're all introduced," she continued, "There should be no problems with you all getting along. My name is Hera Olimpijczyk (Olympian), and I will be your barrack mother. Lights out will be at exactly 7 p.m, no exceptions." She gave them all a hard look like she was waiting for them to protest. Nobody did. She nodded once, satisfied with their docile like behavior.

"You will wake up at 6 in the morning to begin your chores. Some of you," She looked at Silena. Silena's face betrayed no emotion. Ms. Hera sneered, "Already know your place. If you are new, tomorrow, you shall be assigned your badge that you must wear at all times, and you," Ms. Hera's lip curled further, "Your chores," She turned around and shut the door. Annabeth waited until she heard the soft sounds of Ms. Hera's steps walking away.

"Vidʹma (witch)," Piper said, effectively breaking the silence. A few girls chuckled, but others looked nervous, and Calypso was quietly crying in her sister's arms.

"We'll be okay," Silena said firmly. "We're a family now, and nothing is going to change that,"

Annabeth couldn't help but look at her in awe.

…

"Name?" A fat, stout, bearded man asked in a bored tone. His dark brown- almost black- eyes glanced up at her, disdain flashing in them. He sneered at her.

"Annabeth Chase," Annabeth asked, watching as the man scrawled her name in German on the page in front of him.

"Date of birth?" He questioned next.

"July 12," Annabeth quickly responded.

"Year?"

"1930," He stopped, glancing up at Annabeth.

"Are you sure that you're 13?" He asked, clearly suspicious.

"Yes," Annabeth confirmed, a bit worried, but she stuck to the truth nonetheless. He narrowed his eyes but looked down at his page again to write it down.

"Birthplace?" He asked, not bothering to look up at her again.

"Ukraine," He marked it down as Russia.

"I'm not Russian, I'm Ukrainian," she protested, reading what he had written on the document.

"Do you see Ukraine on the map?" He pointed to a map that hung on the wall. Places the German army had taken over were covered by a swastika. But there was no Ukraine...

"You are from the East. You are Russian," He nodded his head as if the matter was closed, but Annabeth didn't back down.

"But-" she started.

A hand collided with her cheek. "That's enough," the fat man snarled. The likes of you should know their place. Russian, Ukrainian, all the same!" He turned away from her.

"Next!" He hollered out.

Annabeth flinched. Not from the pain of the hit, but rather from the disgust dripping from his tone. Was that really what they believed? She was pushed through the crowd and was put in a line, standing at attention, while she waited for the others. Two girls next to her were whispering amongst themselves.

"Shh!" She hissed at them. "Do you want to get in trouble?" She hissed at them. They glared at her but silenced themselves.

"At attention!" Ms. Hera yelled at them. They straightened themselves out quickly, and one girl almost tripped in her hast to follow directions. Ms. Hera slapped a badge in their hands. Annabeth felt the pin of the badge dig in her hand, and tears pricked up and the edges of her eyes.

"You will be required to wear these OST badges at all times," the commanding officer, Officer Atlas said. "Any of you who are seen without this badge," He stopped in front of Annabeth, grinning cruelly. Annabeth could smell the rancid smell of his breath, and it took all her willpower to not jerk back to escape it. "Will be punished accordingly." He finished, walking along the line. Annabeth shivered, both from the cold and the cruel gleam in Officer Atlas's eyes. Officer Atlas walked on, probably looking for more people to torment.

Ms. Hera stepped up again, a piece of paper in hand, with a little girl who couldn't be more than 10 behind her. Her skin was unlike the skin colors she had seen before. It was a chocolate brown, and her eyes were gold, instead of blue, brown, or even Annabeth's unusual gray. Her hair was a little longer than Annabeth's, little puffs of brown sticking up every which way.

The girl was carrying bowls and spoons, trying to keep them from falling, her arms hardly being able to stand up against the weight of the cutlery. If this girl couldn't carry a few bowls after what seemed like a few months, how would Annabeth last?

"You will each take one bowl and one spoon. You will use it for your food. Clean it every day, and be careful with it because it is the only one you will receive." She gave them all a once over. "Assignments will be issued now, so please step forward when your name is called. Ms. Hera looked down at the paper she was holding.

"Zoe Nightshade." She called out. Zoe stepped forward.

"Bomb-making." I stifled a gasp. Bombs? Zoe would be making bombs? How cruel, to force a girl to make the very thing that had gotten them into the mess.

"Drew Tanaka." was called next, and she was assigned bomb-making.

"Calypso Nightshade." Calypso stepped forward. She glanced at her sister, and I could tell she too wanted bomb-making in the hopes of staying with her sibling. "Hospital duty," I saw the tears in Calypso's eyes, but she didn't say anything, keeping a brave face.

"Piper McLean," Piper stepped up boldly, and I wanted to smack her. She should be more careful around Ms. Hera. Who knows what could happen to her? But Ms. Hera merely smiled. "Hospital duty,"

"Annabeth Chase." The world began to spin. She wanted to close her eyes and pretend that she was still with her mother, but she stepped up nonetheless.

"Hospital duty," Annabeth's head spun. Hospital duty? How lucky was this? To be able to spend time with two -maybe more- girls from her barrack. Annabeth didn't pay attention to the other girls and what jobs they were given, her head still dizzy with the information. When she was finished with her list, Ms. Hera tucked the page under her arm and walked on.

"To lunch! All of you!" Ms. Hera yelled back to them as she walked away.

...

Annabeth stood in line with her only bowl and her only spoon, clutching the OST badge she had yet to sew onto her dress. The line inched along like a caterpillar, and when it was Annbeth's turn, she could smell the vanilla pudding and chunks of beef in the soup. Beef! How long had it been since she'd last had proper meat? Not since her village was invaded, that's for sure.

"May I please have some beef stew? And some pudding?" She asked as politely as she could muster. The cook glared at her.

"We do not waste such precious food on subhumans," She said, glaring at the OST badge in her hand. The cook raised the laydee, and scooped at watery looking soup, with big squishy looking chunks floating around in it.

"Now go. You're holding up the line." There was no one behind her.

Annabeth walked into the cafeteria, avoiding the glances and whispers she heard. She sat at an empty table and picked at her soup. She lifted the spoon to her lips. The chunks tasted familiar. Turnips. Turnips boiled until they were mush, and dumped in the water. This was what they called soup? She gagged on the taste and dumped her spoon back into the bowl. She swirled the contents of the bowl absentmindedly. She looked down at her bowl of mushy turnip soup. Mushy soup because she was "Russian". The stupid OST badge. Annabeth knew that Ost meant East in German. For people from the East. Like her. She sighed into her soup.

"Hey, Annabeth!" a voice called out. She turned to her barrack mates coming to join her at the table. Silena sat next to her, Piper on the other side. Calypso and Zoe sat across from her, next to each other. The girl Annabeth had seen with Ms. Hera was sitting with them too. As was Drew, and a few others Annabeth couldn't name.

"Ms. Hera was..." Piper started trying to start a conversation, but Silena finished it for her.

"An absolute- '' Then proceeded to say words that would leave me with a bar of soap in my mouth. Piper gave a low whistle.

"I didn't take you for one with a filthy mouth," She told the older girl, but Silena shrugged.

"What would you have called her?" Piper didn't have an answer. I had one, but I kept it to myself.

_Family destroyer_

_Bitch_

_German_

_Nazi_

But that wasn't fair. Annabeth knew there were Germans who didn't agree with Hitler. Zoe, Calypso, and even Octavian were all proof of that. But Annabeth's rage overtook her senses. Annabeth slammed her spoon onto the table with a clatter. The table turned to look at her.

"A bitch?" Annabeth offered under her breath.

"Here here!" Zoe said. Silena smiled at her. Annabeth smiled back. Family. That's what Silena had told her that they were. Family. And now, Annabeth was starting to believe it.

…

Annabeth would have nightmares for the rest of her life.

The hospital was every bit as scary as Silena said it was. And all she did was clean the blood.

The blood of the young ones.

Every child, under the age of 9, boy or girl, was brought here. Now Annabeth knew what her barrack mates said when they said that Nazi's didn't like the young ones. She could still hear their scream.

Their blood was drained from their body and put into large sacks. Annabeth gave the victims water and she sang them songs, but she knew there was no possible way for them to survive this. They were like machine parts. Once they had served their purpose, there was no use for them. Annabeth knew what happened after machine parts broke down. They were replaced. All these children would be cast aside like rusted cogs and bent screws and replaced with new children, doomed to suffer the same fate.

Annabeth had never known the horrors of war. When she had lost her mother, her village, and her freedom, she thought she knew everything. It was almost as if someone in the universe wanted her to see that others suffered worse fates, and what she had gone through was like a single blade of grass next to a tall oak tree. Insignificant. Useless. Practically worthless.

"Hey," Piper came up behind her. "It's going to be okay," She reassured her.

"Will it?" Annabeth asked. Piper didn't have an answer.

"It will," Calypso said, carrying blankets to give to the small children lying bedridden in their cots.

"How?" Annabeth questioned again.

"Well for one, we're gossiping nurses now," Piper snickered. Annabeth didn't crack a smile. Piper became serious again. "And I know it's going to be okay because we're here together. Remember what Silena said?"

"She said we're a family," Annabeth said quietly.

"Exactly," Calypso said, finalizing the argument. "As long as we have hope, there is always a chance." A chance to defeat the Nazi's? A chance to find their families? A chance to have everything go back to normal? Annabeth wasn't sure what chance Calypso was talking about, but there was truth in her words. As long as they believed in each other, and as long as they stayed a family, everything would be okay.

_"We'll be okay," Silena had said. "We're a family now, and nothing is going to change that,"_

Annabeth believed those words a little more.

…

Annabeth had been cleaning up after another blood heist when Piper came to her with the news.

"Annabeth! Annabeth!" Piper's voice called.

"What?" Annabeth called back.

Piper panted, completely out of breath. "Have you heard the news?" Annabeth shook her head 'no'.

"There's a boy! A new boy!"

"So what?" The concentration camp had new shipments almost every week.

"He was brought by General Kronos!" Annabeth turned around to look at Piper.

"Finally got your attention, do I? He says his name is Percy Jackson."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry early Christmas to you all! Since I won't update this story until next year (2021, let's go!), I wanted to wish all my readers a very Merry Christmas. Who knows? Maybe I'll see you for a Christmas one-shot.
> 
> Love you all!
> 
> Peace and Justice,
> 
> -ThatOneBrokenDeskYouHadToSitOn


	6. The makings of a plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percy arrives at the concentration camp, hoping to grab Luke and get out.

_Title:_ A little birdy told me

 _Fandom:_ PJO/HoO

 _Warnings:_ abuse, cutting, suicidal thoughts, blood, gore, attempted suicide, war, PTSD

Guys, very important note. I am not German. All facts from my story come from a World War II book and read, as well as research I have done. I won't start telling people to wear Swastika's, but please do not start a flame war in the comments or something about how "Evil Germans are," or how "I should repent for daring to wring 'Nazi' or 'Swastika'". Don't. Just don't.

 _Summary:_ Annabeth never talks to anyone. Not since the soldiers came. She writes a note, all her hopes are dreams on it, ties it to a bird, and watches it fly off. She is shocked when a response comes, Who is it?

Percy is a resistance nurse (He prefers a doctor) when one day and bird with a note attached shows up at his base. When he sends a note back, he is surprised when someone responded. Who is it?

Percabeth (World War II Au)

 _Characters:_ Percy Jackson, Frank Zhang, Leo Valdez, Reyna Avila Ramirez-Arellano, Hazel Levesque, Jason Grace, Annabeth Chase, Octavian Simmons, Rachel Elizabeth Dare, Thaila Grace, Luke Castellan, Bianca Di Angelo, Ethan Nakamura, Nico DiAngelo, Chiron, Selena Beauregard, Clarisse La Rue, Will Solace, Thanatos, Kronos, Piper McLean, Calypso Nightshade, Zoe Nightshade

**The makings of a plan**

_A little birdy told me_

Chapter Four

Percy was screwed.

Not scared, screwed.

There was a tremendous difference between being afraid for your life, your wellbeing, and if you are that person, others.

There was an enormous difference between being stuck in a situation that could potentially kill you even if you know you are doing it for the greater good.

Percy was screwed.

He knew he was screwed because, for one thing, the most evil, vile, villainous creature was standing above him. General Kronos had his hand yanking roughly through Percy's hair. He was sneering down at him as if he had finally caught the deer he was hunting.

General Kronos.

The name alone was enough to send people into frenzies of fear without ever having to see his cruel sneer.

If you've seen the sneer, you've seen the gun, and by that time, it's too late to run.

Every child on Percy's street knew that rhyme. Their mothers had taught it to them, to warn them of the dangers of the world.

Before, it had always seemed like something too far away to see. Like the pain and misery would never come to him. He was shielded from the brute force, and a delicately built wall had encircled him, protecting him.

That protection was short-lived. Here he was now, on his hands and knees, about to die. There was no inkling of the wall that once surrounded him.

Forcing him back to the present was General Kronos. "Well, well, well." He breathed in Percy's face. Percy wrinkled his nose. His breath was rancid. "I seem to have caught a rat." He held Percy up like a trophy. The guards laughed and Percy resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

He wasn't the most talented infiltrator in his resistance group, but either he was better than he thought, or these guards were incredibly daft. Percy suspected that it was the latter.

"So little rat," Kronos leaned in close. "Where are your friends? You rebels are always together." In fact, the very "rebel" as Kronos so eloquently phrased it was within the camp itself. But Percy wasn't going to tell Kronos that, now was he? In fact, Chiron hadn't let Percy go off on his own, and for all Percy knew, someone was tracking his location or watching from a nearby bush. The Dark Lord himself, Nico DiAngelo, was to spy on the spy and report Percy's information back to base.

Percy looked deep within Kronos's eyes. There wasn't a hit of love or forgiveness that might identify him as a human being with feelings and not just a thirst for blood and revenge. Percy steeled his gaze at Kronus. And spat in his face.

Kronus staggered back and let go of Percy, but Percy didn't run away from him. He lay on the ground where he was dropped. Kronus wiped the spit off his face and glared even more if that was possible.

"You'll regret that."

...

You'll regret that

Such was the phrase Percy had heard so often. Playing tricks on Clarisse.

You'll regret that. Then he was chased through the forest, mock begging for mercy, both of them knowing full well the only reason Clarisse caught him was that Percy wanted her to catch him. The death tickling was not appreciated, however.

Spitting in a Nazi general's face.

You'll regret that. There would be no running through the woods and evil tickles this time.

Percy's hair was shaved in a few clean cuts. Not that Percy would really miss his hair. All he really wanted to do was to look in a mirror, a shard of glass, or at least some type of reflective surface and see if his stupid little tuft of gray hair was still there.

It probably was considering his luck.

The lice killer stung his eyes and the shower was scalding hot. The icy winter air felt like a soothing balm on his skin.

He found a decent pair of rags (they were the clothes he was wearing when he arrived, and thankfully, no one had taken them. There was a small tracking chip sewn into them that wouldn't be reliable unless Percy was the one wearing the clothes. Just in case, there was one in his teeth too), and stepped up to the fat, stout man that was smoking a cigar.

"Name?" He asked.

"Percy Jackson." His real name was Perseus, but no one needed to know that.

"Date of birth?"

"August 18,"

"Year?"

"1929,"

He scribbled some more words onto the paper he was writing on.

"Birthplace?"

"Poland," Percy said in a heartbeat. It hurt him to lie about the beautiful country from which he was born, but the Poles received better food. He had to keep his strength up to complete his mission.

The man raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced, but he wrote it down anyway. He looked up again and waved Percy away with his pencil.

Well.

How rude. They may be barbarians, but they could at least have a sense of decency. They acted like the rules of common courtesy didn't apply to them.

General Kronos, bless him then curse on his ashes, had waited for Percy as if they were going out on a date. Percy internally gagged.

"Well, well. So, it seems that the little spy isn't a Russian after all. Funny, I thought the accent was familiar," He leaned into Percy's face, sneering as if he was hoping Percy would cower in fear and confess to lying. Percy wanted to spit in his face again.

When Percy didn't move, General Kronos backed away, still sneering.

"I think this camp has a very special job for you. How about- "He was cut off by a soldier whispering something in his ear. General Kronos's face darkened in disappointment with every passing second.

"Well," Kronos started, "It seems that position is already filled up. No matter. We'll find something else for you to do,"

Percy couldn't help but wonder what the "position" General Kronos was talking about was.

"I wonder…" General Kronos tapped his chin in mock thought. "Ah, I know! Bomb-making." Percy stifled a cry. "In the meantime, I'm sure these guards here would love to escort you to barrack number 12."

…

Barrack twelve was an experience that Percy would remember for the rest of his life. Walking into the cabin for the first time, Percy gave the cabin a once over, before wondering how anyone was supposed to live with these conditions. A small heater sat in a corner of the room, radiating little heat. Bunk beds littered the room. Most of the beds were filled. Quietly and quickly, Percy walked to one of the empty bunks and flopped onto it.

The mattress was made of straw as well as the stuffing in the pillow. Percy wanted to scream. He didn't.

He listened for a thump of some sort, maybe a voice, or a door opening, or something that might tell him how big the camp was. It was quiet. Percy sighed.

Wait.

Percy was having sudden déjà vu when his resistance group had been hiking through the woods.

It was quite alright.

Too quiet.

Percy lurched forward in his bed and saw every single boy in the barrack staring at him.

They watched him, silently. Percy looked at them, his face not betraying any emotions. His mom used to joke about his mood changes, and how they were like the sea, restless and untamed.

It was clear that nobody in the barrack was going to make the first move.

"Hello." Percy finally said. "Can I help you?"

A collective sigh went out through the room as if everybody was holding their breath.

"Uh," A boy started, a little over his own age. "Do you know- "He hesitated.

"Do you maybe know-"He stopped again.

"Oh, for god's sake!" a blonde cried out. "Do you know Luke? He said somebody was coming to 'extract him' and we were supposed to ask him about a number." Percy paused, letting the information sink in. So, Luke knew what was happening?

"What was the number?"

"1824," the blonde said.

"Did he say anything else?"

The blonde narrowed his eyes. "So, you do know what 'extract' means?"

Percy was getting frustrated. "Did he say anything else?" He asked again.

The blonde took a dangerous step closer to Percy. "What does extract mean?" He grabbed Percy's shoulders and shook him as if the answer would fall from his mouth. "What does it mean?! What's going to happen to him?!"

"Octavian!" the black-haired boy cried, looking shocked. "He won't answer if you're shaking him!"

"But he knows what's going on!" Octavian hissed. "He can help us get Luke back."

"I can't promise that," Percy spoke up. Octavian, as Percy now knew what he was called, turned a lethal glare on Percy, but Percy didn't flinch.

"Not helping," The other boy muttered under his breath.

"I don't care. If you want to help you, we're starting with names. My name is Percy. Percy Jackson."

"I'm Ethan Nakamura," said the black-haired boy.

"Alabaster Torrington,"

"Charles Beckendorf," a tall boy spoke up, his dark skin quite unusual among the paler members of Europe.

"Frank Zhang," the boy who spoke looked younger than Percy, but was obviously much stronger than Percy. He had Asian features that made Percy think that this was an unusual barrack.

"Magnus Chase," blonde, blue eyes. Percy suspected a German, although he could very well be Polish.

Percy clapped his hands together. "Wonderful. Now that we're all familiar with each other, do you mind telling me what else Luke said?"

..

Time. Percy wanted to scream. Was Luke crazy? He wanted to-

Percy took a deep breath. He needed to stay calm. The last time he'd acted out of anger...he still hadn't gotten rid of that stupid tuft of white hair. It was even thereafter they had shaved all his hair off.

The stupid, annoying, little tuft of white hair. He was going to-

Percy took another deep breath.

"Is the air hurting his highness's nostrils?" Octavian asked in mock sympathy.

"No. I'm just restraining myself from killing you," Percy retorted.

Octavian snorted. "As if you could," He said, not even the least bit fazed by Percy's threat.

"I could let Luke die, if that's more to your liking," Octavian shut himself up immediately. Percy raised an eyebrow.

"I seem to have touched a nerve," Percy smirked.

"Now see here," Octavian started, stalking closer towards him. "We may need you now, but before long, we'll throw you out like garbage,"

"Or maybe," Percy continued, ignoring Octavian's statement, "You're upset because you don't want your loverboy to die," Percy heard Octavian suck in a breath.

"Interesting. So you do like him?" Percy questioned.

"Very much," Octavian's face looked like it was a million miles away, dreaming of a future that probably involved Luke somehow.

"So much that you'd do anything for him?" Percy asked.

"Anything."

"Then listen to what I'm about to say very carefully," Octavian leaned him ever so slightly as Percy whispered in his ear. His eyes lit up as the two of them began the makings of a plan.

…

To execute said plan, they would need three things.

A decent map of the camp

They needed to know how big the camp was so they could estimate how many guards to take out, how much time it would take to cross from one place to another, and to know how much backup to bring. One mistake and it would all come crashing down.

Guard rotation shifts

To even begin to plan anything, one must always know the position of the enemy.

An inside (wo)man

Usually, Nico would have sufficed, but Percy didn't think his cousin would appreciate it if he compromised Nico's cover. So then they would need someone they could trust to help infiltrate from the inside. Octavian promised he knew someone who would be willing to help. Percy was a bit suspicious, but Octavian had been nicer towards him, and they had stopped getting into so many spats. So Percy took Octavian up on his offer. They were going to recruit Thalia Grace for this mission. But to do that, Percy had to trust her first.

…

Percy spotted Thaila exactly where Octavian said she'd be. He started walking towards her, making it look like he wasn't aiming for her, but to go around her. Thalia caught on, however, and began to back away from him.

"Wait!" He said, grabbing her arm. "I know how to help Luke," and then he had her full attention.

Their conversation went something like this:

"Do you know how we can get a map of this place?"

"Yes,"

"Where?"

"Tell me about the resistance army you and Luke are apart of and maybe I will,"

"This isn't the time for that,"

"Then when will it be the time?"

Percy sucked in his breath and chewed on his lip. Anyone who saw him would think he was nervous, but he tended to inflict pain on himself when he really needed to stay calm. Thalia seemed to think he was nervous.

"I am making you nervous?" She smirked at him.

Percy glowered at her. "No."

"So why are you chewing your lip?" She asked as if she had solved world hunger and ended the war.

"Because," He said simply.

Thalia grunted impatiently. "Don't you have better places to be?"

"Don't you have a resistance army to join?"

Thalia turned to him, gobsmacked. "Really?"

He shrugged. "It's not my call but if you help us, I'll see what I can do."

She crossed her arms. "Give me your word,"

He snorted. "My word? What century is this again? The 19th or the 20th?"

"Doesn't matter." She said. "You said I could join if I helped, and I want your word that it will happen."

"I never said you could join. I said I'll see what I can do."

"Same difference," She insisted. Percy stared at her for a moment longer.

"Fine," He gave in. "Now, where can I get a decent map of this place?"

"I can get you that and something better,"

"And what would that be?"

Thaila leaned in towards him. "Recruits,"

…

Thalia Grace was actually a pleasant person once you got to know her. It helped that both of them were going to the bomb-making facility with him. Thaila said two other girls from her barrack, Zoe Nightshade, and Drew Tanka, were also assigned bomb-making.

Thaila introduced Percy to both of them, and they whispered their plan in their train cart (this kind of cart was made for cattle).

"So, what's the first step?" Drew asked Percy. Percy raised an eyebrow.

"I feel like this is the tenth time I'm saying this, but we really need a map."

"No problem," Zoe said. "I know where to find a map."

"Awesome. Next step: We need to know the guard rotation shifts," Drew sucked in a breath.

"That's a little harder," She admitted. "We hardly have any sense of time, and we don't have anything to write the times on,"

"I can help you find the time," Percy said. "Growing up by the woods teaches you a few things. I don't know what to do about the paper situation though,"

"I have an idea, but I don't know if it will work," Thaila spoke up.

"What is it?" Percy questioned.

"It's only half baked- the dough hasn't even risen yet,"

"Then we'll get back to you on that. The last step, we need someone on the inside,"

Drew smirked. "I know what to do about that,"

The train came to a stop, and Percy, Thaila, Drew, Zoe, and the other members of their train cart sifted over as the train lurched.

A familiar face opened their car door.

"Hurry up!" Nico DiAngleo barked at them. "I won't ask again,"

They shuffled out of the cart, but Nico stopped Percy.

"I want to talk to you,"

Thaila, Zoe, and Drew looked at him worriedly, and he realized that they didn't know that Nico was undercover.

"I'll be fine," He told them. Thaila gave him a nod and then allowed herself to be pushed towards a factory type building.

"Is it time?" Nico asked him when everyone else was out of earshot.

"Yes, it's time. Luke was crazy enough to call one,"

Nico cursed. "Then this is a bigger problem than we thought."

"I wouldn't call it a problem. We just have to figure out how to rescue as many people as possible from the camp and then set off a time bomb to cover our tracks. Sounds like the average Tuesday,"

"Are you always this sarcastic?" Nico asked, snorting.

"No. Sometimes I like to be a butterfly and dance in the wind,"

"Do you have a plan?" Nico asked.

Percy wanted to laugh. "I always have a plan,"

And the makings of a plan began.

* * *

Character: Nationality: Job:

_Percy Jackson - Russian - Bomb-making_

_Annabeth Chase - Ukrainian - Hospital Duty_

_Thaila Grace - Polish - Bomb-making_

_Nico DiAngleo - Italian - Undercover resistance agent/German soldier_

_Rachel Elizabeth Dare - Russian - Oracle (travels to the Front (the front lines of the war)) and brings back news, good or bad_

_Hazel Levesque_ _\- - Mrs. Hera's helper_

_Octavian Simmons - German - Farming_

_Luke Castellan - Polish - Special Job (the one Percy was supposed to get)_

_Ethan Nakamura - Greek_ _\- Kitchen Duty_

_Nico DiAngelo - Italian - Undercover resistance agent_

_Chiron - Russian - Resistance Leader_

_Silena Beauregard - Polish - Cleaning Duty_

_Clarisse La Rue - Russian - Resistance Soldier_

_Will Solace - Russian - Resistance Nurse/Doctor_

_Thanatos_ _\- Russian - Resistance Leader_

 _Kronos_ _\- German - General for the Nazi's_

_Piper McLean - Ukrainian - Hospital Duty_

_Zoe Nightshade - German - Bomb-making_

_Calypso Nightshade - German - Hospital Duty_

_Leo Valdez - Coming Soon_

_Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano - Coming Soon_

_Bianca Di Angelo - Coming Soon_

_Frank Zhang - Coming Soon_

_Jason Grace - Coming Soon_

**Look down below for some story teasers~**

Say 'Cheese'

_A camera. It's hard to believe all these troubles started with a camera. A cursed camera, a lovesick fool, and a poor boy who only wanted to live his life. "A camera, you say?" "Yes, officer." The officer chuckled. "Give me proof that a camera of all things killed all these people." "Officer?" "Yes?" "Say cheese."_

Percy Jackson was handsome. Very handsome. His sea-green eyes, like an ocean yearning to be set free, made him stand out from everybody. His hair was jet black, swept to the side by the wind, and he even managed to do the 'woke up like this' look every day as if his hair had never been combed. He was athletic too. Captain of the swim and basketball team and he even dabbled in the arts (hence his role in the drama club). Despite his looks, Percy was kind to everyone he met, never judging them by outward appearance. That was probably why his assortment of friends was so very varied.

Nico DiAngelo, a self-proclaimed loner, although Percy wouldn't let him be on his own. His eyes were such a dark shade of brown they looked black, and a sleep ring decorated his eyes. His hair, black like Percy's, was generally neater than his, although it was still messy. He always wore black and sneered at everyone and everything that came within 5 feet of him. He was like a 2005 goth kid stuck in the present. He wasn't to blame for that. His sister had died at a young age, as well as his mother, and his father and step-mother never bothered with him, as if he were an ugly vase that couldn't be broken because everyone's least favorite aunt had given it to them and threatened to visit them every day if they got rid of it.

Drew Tanka was completely different. When Percy and Drew had turned out to be friends, there was a great bit of shock in the school. Drew was always parading around the school as if she owned it, was a bit a bully, and kind of a bitch. The clothes she wore sometimes...most children would get a smack on the head for even thinking to wear them. A lot of people suspected blackmail in their friendship, but both Percy and Drew were quick to shut down those rumors. They did of course pop up from time to time but never escalated into something bigger. Drew wasn't one you would see playing sports unless it was cheerleading, and she was always cheering on her friends. Drew's pale skin was always covered in makeup, not too much, but not a little either. Her hair was black (which seemed like a trend going around in Percy's friends until Jason) was always down, cascading down her back like a waterfall.

To continue on the subject of Jason Grace, who was one of the only blondes in the friend group, aside from Will. Jason was Roman. Hypothetically, of course. The way he walked, talked, and even danced was always stiff and calculated. Percy joked around and always called him 'dad'. Jason had sky blue eyes (like his sister) and his hair was a cropped blonde. His glasses that sat on his face were a new development after he complained that he couldn't see the board from where he sat in the back of the class. Jason was the golden boy of the school, class valedictorian, hall monitor, and other boring stuff that no one cared about except maybe him. Jason was on the football team, which wasn't surprising. He had the build for it. Wide shoulders and a broad chest, and his biceps were no laughing matter.

Thaila Grace was her brother's polar opposite. She had black hair (yeesh) and his eyes were more of an electric blue. She had a lot of static in her, and she was notorious for sparking people, giving them a slight jolt. She was always smacking a piece of gum very loudly as if having gum made her special and she couldn't wait to showcase it. She wore different variations of killing beloved Disney characters, and today was a 'Death to Barbie' shirt. Thaila was the captain of the archery club, and had started a fraternity club outside of school that she called 'The Hunters of Artemis'.

Hazel Levesque was the oddest person in the entire group. She was the youngest in the group, for one thing, although age isn't a strange thing. Her eyes were gold, shining gold. Her hair was brown, curling down her back, although her hair was usually up in a ponytail. She had chocolate brown skin that made her stand out from her paler classmates. Hazel was a member of the riding club, and her horse Arion was famed for never letting anyone ride him, trying to buck them off. Well, everyone except Hazel. And Percy. Percy had always loved horses, but his horse was Blackjack, a handsome stallion who most people (read: Percy) suspected that he and Arion were secretly hooking up, and going to gay horse clubs.

"Hey, Percy!" Annabeth turned from where she was quietly observing (stalking) Percy and his group of friends. She sneered as she recognized the voice. Rachel, the she-demon, and stealer of boyfriends.

* * *

I'm bust fighting in the Holocaust

RACHEL ELIZABETH DARE

_News from the front_

_The war-zone is not a place for a child._

Rachel huffed. Someone should really explain to those old scholars that some people didn't care where they shot, as long as they shot something.

She ran through the town, once beautiful and glorious, now reduced to rumble. American bomber planes flew overhand, as well as Soviet planes. Rachel was quick to avoid the sight of Soviet planes. Stalin might have been more evil than Hitler, and Rachel had lost almost everything to them. Civilians ran around, trying to avoid the crossfire from the Nazi and Soviet tanks. Roofs fell, and people were crushed under the rumble. Soldiers marching along the street stole food and killed any survivors they saw. It was a limbo of a picture, the same one Rachel saw when her own town had fallen...

_"Rachel, go!" Her mother shouted. A younger Rachel was scraped, bloody, and bruised, but her stubborn little feet refused to move._

_"Not without you mama!" She yelled over the sound of gunshots and screams. Her mother was wedged between the two pillars that had kept their house out. Rachel didn't know where her father was. Maybe dead, maybe captured. Even so, her mother knew the only family they had left._

_"Rachel, please! I may have lost your father! I won't lose you too!" Her mother pleaded with her. Tears stung Rachel's eyes. She sniffed._

_"I'll come back, I promise," Rachel ran out of the ruins that were their house._

_As it turns out, Rachel was unable to keep that promise. Another beam dislodged, causing the house to fall, burning her mother underneath._

_"No! Mamma! Mamma!" She screamed. Her dirty fingernail tried to pry brick and wood away, barely making a dent._

_"Rachel." The voice was clear. It was the best friend Percy. His eyes were red-rimmed. "I..." He started then stopped, seemingly unable to get the words out. "I'm sorry about your mom. But we have to go if we are to survive,"_

_"My mother didn't, so why should I?" She asked. Percy didn't have an answer. Rachel turned away from him and faced the rumble._

_"Will you do it for me?" His voice asked, small and quiet, and yet, it pierced through the sounds of war, clear as day._

_Rachel looked at him. Percy held his gaze. Slowly, he extended his arm towards her. She took it._

_"I'll do it for you, I'll do it for me," She looked at the wasteland of her home. "I'll do it for my mother,"_

_She would bring those dogs to their knees._

"Civilians are mostly safe underground," Her fellow oracle, Ella, told her, knocking her out of thought. Rachel turned to her. Ella's bright red hair was tied in a tight bun with only a single strand of hair falling in her face. Rachel couldn't help but smile at her. She related well to her, red hair being something most people weren't used to. But Rachel would be damned if she ever let anyone's ignorant words change her.

"The front makes you smile?" Ella asked her incredulously.

"No, but you do," Ella blushed.

"No time for that," she said. "We're still undercover as sexy, little, innocent girls," Rachel raised an eyebrow at her.

"Because we need a 'big, strong man'." Rachel snickered. "Half of these men are little boys who are about to urinate in their pants,"

Ella barked out a laugh. "It's cute how they try to act brave," The two girls walked away, leaning on each other for support, coughing occasionally from the smoke. They had almost passed the end of the front lines, and into the forest when they heard a shout directed at them.

"Hey! You girls!" Both of them turned to see a middle-aged man, 40, maybe 45, lumbering towards them.

"Smile," Rachel hissed through her teeth at the other girl. Ella wanted to kick the other girl. After all, this wasn't her first time doing something like this.

"What are you doing here? The front lines aren't a good place for such a beautiful girl," he leered at them. Rachel giggled a high pitch giggle that was very much unlike her.

"Oh, we were caught up in all the fighting. We barely managed to escape. We're lucky such strong, handsome men are here to protect us," She glanced at his badge. "An Offiziér, and a high ranking one at that," she told him, switching to German instead of her usual Russian.

...

A few minutes later, and a few spiked beers and Rachel and Ella were cleaning the blood off their hands.

* * *

_Jordan and Naomi's love story, the sequel to Didn't Even Notice_

Daisies on Ink

Jordan hated her eyes.

The eyes themselves are very beautiful. A sea-green, swirling in her iris like the sea captured. But the sea was not meant to be restrained. So the blue and green clash caught in an eternal battle, fighting to push on color out, caught in a limbo.

Yes, Jordan's eyes are very beautiful.

Who they used to belong to was the problem.

Jordan was three -almost four- years old when a girl with greasy black hair, a silver circlet, and a bow strapped on her back, tells her that she is a demigod.

Half-god, half-mortal. Her father was out there, somewhere.

Jordan was too young to understand what that truly meant. She was three -almost four- yes, so she did understand words and how to speak.

But the fact that someone -correction, some god- was out there and could have saved her from years of abuse...that registered rather quickly.

Back to who her eyes used to belong to.

Her adopted sister Estelle had the same eyes, but that was because Percy Jackson and Estelle Blofis shared the same mother.

Percy Jackson.

He was a legend around camp. Saved the camp twice, the Giant and Titan War survived Tartuas. Committed suicide. And that's where his story is no longer a happy one. His boyfriend, the mysterious and elusive (not really, but it makes for a good story) Nico DiAngelo died with him. According to Hades, god, and ruler of the Underworld, both had chosen rebirth, although Percy's application had gone in sooner than Nico's making Percy about three years older than Nico.

Or their reincarnation at least.

Jordan turned to look in the mirror.

Horrible, ugly, wonderful, beautiful fucking eyes.

...

Naomi Blofis was in love.

Deep deep love.

A love that could spark a love story that would be told through the ages.

A love that would never be returned.

Because Naomi Blofis...was in love with her sister.

It wasn't as bad as it sounded. Technically, it was her adopted sister, and once she was old enough, she wouldn't have to claim Sally and Paul Blofis as her parents.

Not that Jordan would ever love her in the first place. She seemed more interested in Luke Chase.

Luke Chase. How do describe him? Handsome, nice, smart, everything anyone could want, not her type...

Everyone loved him, talked to him, was his friend because they liked him or because of his parents, but he was so fucking oblivious it hurt.

Jordan liked to joke around by saying that he might be Percy's reincarnation because he was so oblivious like Percy Jackson. Which might have made sense, if one in that sense, had the timelines matched up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The "official" (it's not set in stone yet) release date is sometime in February, and all dates vary. 'Say 'Cheese'' is going to be a one-shot, so expect that one first. 'I busy fighting in the Holocaust' goes along with 'A little birdy told me', so sometimes directly after 'Say 'Cheese''. 'Daisies on Ink' is a sequel story to 'Didn't Even Notice', and actually might be posted in March. It's planned to be a seven-parter, but I don't know yet.
> 
> -ThatOneBrokenDeskYouHadToSitOn


	7. The Day Before the Escape; Annabeth's side

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabeth thinks back to life before the war and uncovers a plot to escape the concentration camp.

_Title :_ A little birdy told me

 _Fandom :_ PJO/HoO

 _Warnings :_ Same-sex love, abuse, cutting, suicidal thoughts, blood, gore, attempted suicide, war, PTSD

Guys, very important note. I am not German. All facts from my story come from a World War II book and read, as well as research I have done. I won't start telling people to wear Swastika's, but please do not start a flame war in the comments or something about how "Evil Germans are," or how "I should repent for daring to wring 'Nazi' or 'Swastika'". Don't. Just don't.

 _Summary :_ Annabeth never talks to anyone. Not since the soldiers came. She writes a note, all her hopes are dreams on it, ties it to a bird, and watches it fly off. She is shocked when a response comes, Who is it?

Percy is a resistance nurse (He prefers a doctor) when one day and bird with a note attached shows up at his base. When he sends a note back, he is surprised when someone responded. Who is it?

Percabeth (World War II Au)

 _Characters : _Percy Jackson, Frank Zhang, Leo Valdez, Reyna Avila Ramirez-Arellano, Hazel Levesque, Jason Grace, Annabeth Chase, Octavian Simmons, Rachel Elizabeth Dare, Thaila Grace, Luke Castellan, Bianca Di Angelo, Ethan Nakamura, Nico DiAngelo, Chiron, Selena Beauregard, Clarisse La Rue, Will Solace, Thanatos, Kronos, Hera, Piper McLean, Calypso Nightshade, Zoe Nightshade

**The Day Before the Escape; Annabeth's side**

_A little birdy told me_

Chapter Five

The feel of the chilly wind is what woke Annabeth up. It was cold, a freezing, biting cold, that rattled her bones. It kick-started her awake, and she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She heard the sound of the bell ringing through the halls. She shivered, and pulled her blanket over her head, trying to keep the winter air from blowing over her. It whistled and howled, probably journeying into the room from the hole in their roof. The heater, meant to keep them warm, failed at its purpose as it buzzed uselessly in the corner. Annabeth's somewhat peaceful rest was interrupted by Silena.

"Rise and shine, sunshine!" Silena called out cheerfully, ripping the blanket from Annabeth. "Time to get up!" She chirped brightly. How could anyone function at this unholy hour? Annabeth groaned as she slid out of the bed and landed in a heap on the floor.

"Come on, Annabeth," Piper said to her, already making her bed. "We have hospital duty earlier than usual this morning," Annabeth groaned again.

"Why?" Annabeth asked groggily. And how do they expect us to know what the time is without a clock?

"New shipment of prisoners," Calypso told her, folding the rags they used as sheets on her bed. "I guess most of them are young enough too-". Calypso bit her lip and didn't finish her sentence. Annabeth shuddered, but this time, it wasn't from the cold. It was from the thought of having to clean up after another bloodbath. The thought of having to hear the wailing and screaming and crying. To have to see their faces of horror as they pleaded and begged for help. To have to see as they took their final breaths-

Annabeth squeezed her eyes shut as she pushed the images out of her mind. She again rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and surveyed the room. It looked the same as it had looked for the past month or two now. Maybe less, maybe more. Time blurred together here. There was nothing for her to use to brush her teeth in the morning or to take a shower. Both those things were done at night. She grabbed her bowl and spoon, using the hem of her shirt to polish both items.

They stood single file as always, Zoe next to her on one side, and Drew on the other. Annabeth was thankful for the time they spent together at breakfast before the both of them went off the train to bomb duty at a facility too far to walk. *add more*

It felt the same outside as it was inside, and Annabeth was grateful that she would have her apron and hospital uniform to keep warm.

It was still too chilly even with the uniform, but Annabeth's work kept her moving. She warmed up a little after a while, but Piper told her that her cheeks were red from the cold. Piper's and Calypso's faces had similar features.

"Maybe we should ask for linens to keep warm?" Calypso suggested.

"I doubt we would receive any. And if we did, we'd get the dirty, used ones," Piper snorted.

"Could it hurt so much to ask?" Annabeth asked. One slap later, Annabeth indeed knew how much it would hurt. Clutching her stinging cheek, she pulled her hand back and saw blood. Before, the sight would have made her feel queasy, but now, after seeing all the blood taken by the hospital, Annabeth no longer felt her stomach lurch, just weary exhaustion.

"At least my face isn't cold now," Annabeth said when she saw Calypso and Piper looking at her worriedly. Piper forced a laugh, though her expression remained concerned, and Calypso gave a hollow smile. All her life, Calypso had known how cruel the Nazi's were, but witnessing it first-hand, had taken a toll on her, for the worse. She'd hoped that the Nazi's would listen to her, but her wild dreams had been buried and forgotten. She didn't have anything to say, and she could feel Piper and Annabeth's stares aimed at her. And Annabeth knew she shouldn't be mad at Calypso since it wasn't her fault, but her status as a German protected her here. Calypso had been the one to ask the question, and Annabeth had received the punishment.

"It seems you have gained a sense of humor," Calypso said. "Where was this before?"

"It was there," Annabeth commented vaguely. "You just never noticed it,"

Piper smiled at her. "Well, I hope it will come to visit more often,"

"I hope so too," Annabeth replied, "Living in these barracks is getting quite taxing to my beloved sense of humor. Oh, how shall I live without thou, my love of my life- my beloved humor?"

The girls laughed softly at Annabeth and the trio continued with their antics.

"Oh, humor, art thou my love," Piper laughed loudly. "Please, my love, do not desert me,"

"Protect me, keep me," Calypso sang softly.

"Hold me close," Piper harmonized.

"Never let me go," Annabeth finished the song with tears forming in her eyes. The lullaby, Lilit (Lilith), the song her mother had used to sing her to sleep. The memory made her smile fondly, and the girls continued to do their work in peace.

After working for some time, however, something occurred to Annabeth. "Do you know that girl's name?" She asked Piper, turning towards her.

"What girl?" Came Calypso's question.

"The girl that's always with Ms. Hera. I've seen her around, and she eats with us sometimes, but I've never asked for her name,"

"Well, lunch is coming soon. You can ask her then," Piper told her. Annabeth nodded shortly.

* * *

Their table consisted of the usual people. Silena, Piper, Calypso, a few others she could not name, and the mystery girl. She always sat at the table with them, not making a peep unless it defended Ms. Hera, to which everyone at the table glared at her, and she slouched in her seat until all the eyes left her. Silena wasn't at their table when Annabeth arrived, so she assumed her supervisor had kept her longer than she should. Annabeth looked around for Thaila, but she was nowhere to be found. Perhaps she had found a different job that caused her to have a different lunchtime.

Bread of sawdust and mushy turnip soup in hand, Annabeth made her way over towards their table. The mystery girl was already there, and everyone was ignoring her, per usual. Annabeth felt ashamed of herself. How could she do such a thing to this poor girl? She was no different from them, forced to work in harsh conditions.

Annabeth sat, and the inhabitants of the table greeted her. Piper opened her mouth to speak to her, but Annabeth cut her off. She instead turned to the quiet girl, sitting at the edge of the table.

"What is your name?" She asked her, and the girl jumped, surprised and startled that Annabeth would be talking to her.

"Oh!" The girl looked down, dragging her feet through the mud. "I'm Hazel. Hazel Levesque," The other girls took this as an invitation to interrogate her.

"Why are you always with Ms. Hera?" Piper asked. "I don't think anyone likes her that much," _Besides you,_ was the unspoken claim.

"Oh, I'm her...helper," Hazel said, her tone not really showing that she meant what she said.

"Helper," Calypso repeated incredulously, not believing what Hazel was telling them.

"Yes," Hazel confirmed more firmly.

Annabeth suspected there was a bit more work in the "helper" job, but she could tell Hazel didn't want to talk about it. They were eating their meal -or as much as they could eat- when Silena came up towards them, panting out of breath.

"Annabeth *wheeze* you know *another wheeze* Luke *more wheezing* right *final wheeze*?"

"Silena! Breathe" Calypso said, motioning for her to sit. Silena gladly accepted the bench spot and took deep breaths to calm herself before attempting to speak again.

"Annabeth, you and Drew know Luke, right?" Drew sat up, ridged.

"What about Luke?" She asked.

"He's..." Silena bit her lip. "He's been assigned a job,"

"Is that all?" Piper drawled, rolling her eyes. "We all work here, it's not a big deal," Annabeth bit her lip to avoid snapping at Piper. She didn't know Luke, didn't know how much he meant to Annabeth. Silena did not have that much strength.

"Yes, it is!" Silena snapped at her, and Piper recoiled in shock. "Sorry, I just-" Silena buried her head in her hands. "Poor Luke,"

"What happened?" Annabeth asked, now more worried for her friend than ever.

"They gave him the safe job," Silena whispered at last. Annabeth's stomach dropped. The safe job? They had that here? Annabeth didn't think that the Nazi's could be that cruel. Piper's hand was shaking, and Hazel's eyes were wide open. Another girl's mouth was hanging in shock.

A horrible thing, to be kept as a slave for sexual purposes. Safe job, they called it. Just do what we ask, and you'll survive, and your family will too. You won't have to do the grueling, hard, work in the fields. Annabeth would rather make bombs for the Nazis than have a safe job. The safe job...when had she last heard of the safe job?

_5 years ago, 1938; Annabeth, age 8; Magnus, age 6_

_"Annabeth! Annabeth! Look!" Magnus was jumping up and down excitedly. "Look!" He said again, shoving a paper in his face. It was a drawing of her and him, standing in front of Annabeth's house, holding hands. It was sloppy, and it was far from being a Van Gough, but Annabeth loved it nonetheless._

_"Magnus, this is amazing!" Annabeth cried out. "I'm putting it up in my room," Annabeth decided. Annabeth rummaged around in her drawers before producing a pin. She stuck the pin through the paper and then through the wall, effectively pinning the picture to her room wall. Annabeth stepped back to admire her work, and Magnus beamed at her proudly._

_Magnus and his family were visiting Annabeth's family for the yearly get together. They lived very far from each other, and Magnus was always sleeping- the little boy he was couldn't stay awake that long for such a long trip- when he arrived. He had been sleeping, and Annabeth had been instructed to carry him up the stairs to the room he would be staying at. It took a shorter amount of time than it usually did, so Annabeth went downstairs to tell her parents and uncle, and aunt that she had finished with her task. She walked down the stairs quietly, as to not disturb her cousin upstairs._

_"They were taken! Or killed!" Her mother was saying urgently._

_"Athena, I'm sure you have no reason to worry," Her aunt, Natalie, soothed her sister softly. "I'm sure they're fine. Maybe they relocated,"_

_"That luxury is only reserved for the Slavs and the Germans!" Athena hissed back._

_"Athena is right," Her uncle Frey said. "People are already resisting. Close to our house, only one town over, there was a massacre of Jews,"_

_"But love, we are not Jews," Her aunt said._

_"Doesn't matter," There was a pause. "Soon, they'll come for us. I've already talked with Natalie about-"_

_"And I told you no!" Her aunt yelled. Then she whispered something much too quiet for Annabeth to hear._

_"Well," Annabeth's father, Frederick, said. The sound of chairs scraping against the wood floor could be heard. Annabeth held her breath, leaning forward, hoping to catch another bit of the conversation. "We mustn't take drastic measures. We want to protect Annabeth and Magnus as much as possible and keep them away from this war,"_

_War. What war? As far as she knew, Germany and Russia were becoming Allies, hoping to join together for a better future. That did not mean that there was a war. Annabeth took a small step forward, and the floor below her creaked. The chatter downstairs stopped._

_Annabeth emerged from her spot on the stairs, making it look as if she hadn't been listening to their conversation._

_"Magnus is asleep in his room," She said smiling. "I missed Uncle Frey and Auntie Natalie!" She hugged them both and felt their bodies relax as they hugged her back._

_"We missed you too, Malen_ _ʹ_ _kyy buzok," Little lilac. Named after the lilac tree she grew in their backyard. Annabeth smiled at the familiar nickname, all troubles about the war gone._

_Until two days later._

_The talk of war came from the housewives in the church. Annabeth and her family had just left service, when she heard the ladies mumbling rather loudly to each other._

_"I heard that Hitler want to get rid of the Jews," One said, a wart adorning her nose._

_"Get rid of the Jews! What nonsense. Why, without them, I'd hardly think we'd have this nice little village," another said. A hat of many feather sat primly on her head._

_"Well, Stalin sure agrees with him. Their planning to share the Soviet Union and Germany between them!" shouted Ms. Warty_

_"Ridiculous," Fancy Hat said. Ms. Warty nodded to show that she agreed. Annabeth turned to her parents who had also been paying attention to the conversation._

_"Mommy," She said, tugging on her mother's dress. "What were those two ladies talking about? Getting rid of the Jews?_

_Annabeth's mother turned to her fearfully. "It's-it's nothing to worry about sweetheart,"_

_"But Reyna is a Jew," Annabeth continued, ignoring her mother. "Are they going to take Reyna away?" Reyna was her best friend. They couldn't separate best friends, could they?_

_"Annabeth, I said that was enough!" Her mother reprimanded her. "I don't want to hear another word about it!" Her mouth snapped shut._

_"Sorry Mommy," She said. Her mother's eyes softened._

_"It's okay sweetheart. I just don't want you filling your head with these…ideas," She told her._

_Annabeth nodded like she understood, but truly she didn't. But she trusted her mommy enough that she stopped listening whenever she heard talk about a war._

_So, when Reyna was taken away a two years later, Annabeth was caught off guard._

_Her friend was taken to their train station, awaiting departure. They were being taken someplace safe, according the Nazi that had moved into the village._

_As Annabeth walked with Reyna, she caught wind of talk of a war. Instead of turning the other way, Annabeth decided to listen in. Two ladies chatted in hushed whispers that Annabeth could just barely make out._

_-safe job," one of them was saying._

_"The poor boy," The other one said._

_"I can't believe no one said anything," The first one exclaimed, them lowered her voice as she noticed more people looking at her. "The safe job? It's not even that safe. It's just a fancy job title for being a whore,"_

_Annabeth stopped listening. Tears pricked her eyes. Is that what was going to happen to Reyna? But they had said boy…Even so, couldn't it happen to Reyna?_

_"Reyna," Annabeth said, turning to her life-long friend. "Promise that we'll be friends forever?"_

_"Forever," Reyna agreed. "You'll come visit someday?" Annabeth looked into her friends usually serious eyes now misty with tears._

_"You're crying," She told her._

_"You are too!" Reyna defended while wiping her eyes. The girls met in a tight hug._

_"Here," Annabeth slipped a bracelet on Reyna's wrist. "I made it for you. So, you don't forget me,"_

_"I could never forget you Annabeth," Reyna insisted._

_"Reyna! Come!" her sister Hylla called._

_"I- "Reyna started nervously._

_"You have to go Reyna. Stay with your family. We'll see each other again. I promise,"_

_Annabeth waved Reyna away until her train disappeared into the mountains._

_When she arrived home, however, she wasn't at all in the same mood she had been before. At dinner, she sprang her surprise question on her parents._

_"What's the safe job?" She asked them. Her mother chocked on her chicken._

_"Why-why do you ask?" her father questioned nervously._

_"I heard someone talking about it at the train station. So, what is it?"_

_"Nothing you need to concern yourself with now," Her mother told her, wiping the corners of her mouth with her napkin._

_"Mother. I am not the same naïve little kid I used to be. I have a right to know what's going on," Annabeth said._

_"Annabeth, you're not ready for the truth," Her father told her gently._

_"Oh, yeah?" She scoffed. "Tell that to the ladies at the train station talking about the safe job whores," She emphasized the last word. Her parents flinched._

_"You want to know what's going on? You want to be a grown-up?" Her mother said. "Fine. Sit, and become a 'grown-up',"_

_Annabeth didn't sleep well for three nights afterword's._

Present day; 1940, Annabeth, age 14, three completed months at concentration camp **(For any of you wondering about dates, i.e., me and my beta reader xD)**

It was dark when Annabeth finished her shift at the hospital. All she wanted to do now was sleep, even if the only bed that awaited her was stuffed with straw. When she lay down on the bed, however, she found that she couldn't sleep. She shut her eyes, hoping that sleep would come to her. It didn't.

As she tried in vain to get some rest, Annabeth heard a shuffling sound. She cracked her eyes open, just a bit, to see what was going on. Drew and Zoe were sneaking out of the barrack, heading to somewhere, maybe to escape. Annabeth waited until they had left, and promptly followed them.

She stopped them behind the washroom, out of sight from the guards up in the towers, and from the ones patrolling the grounds. Smart.

A figure in the dark was headed towards them. Annabeth wanted to run out and warn them, but she stayed rooted in her spot out of fear of being caught and punished.

"Percy, thank goodness," Drew said. "I was worried you'd been captured,"

Someone snorted. "Him? I doubt it," Thaila was there too? What was going on?

"It's nice to know how much you believe in me," 'Percy' snorted.

"We believe in you!" Zoe insisted.

"Thanks, Squirt," Percy said while ruffling Zoe's hair. She swatted at her hand.

"We're here for a reason guys," Thaila said, getting them back on track.

"You're right," Percy agreed. "Luke will add extra weight, so we have to make sure that we can transport him. We only have to make it the rendezvous point,"

"Supplies too," Drew added. "For injuries,"

"And food," Zoe cut in. "Food that doesn't rot or spoil and doesn't need to cook,"

Annabeth listened as something dawned on her.

They were breaking out Luke! And trying to escape! Thaila and Drew, Annabeth understood. Zoe, not so much, but the Percy kid was a complete mystery. Plus, how were they planning to take all this stuff with them the day of the escape?

"What I don't understand is- "Thaila started, but Annabeth decided at the very moment to revel herself to the group.

"-How you're planning to transport all this stop the day of the escape? That's bad planning on your part," She said, looking straight at Percy. He didn't look at all fazed by Annabeth's sudden appearance. Thaila, Zoe, and Drew did.

"Did you follow us here?" Drew hissed at her. "That was an extremely dangerous move,"

Annabeth snorted. "Says the person who did the same thing, and is plotting a way to escape. Which, by the way, I want in on,"

Annabeth had no idea what they were planning to do, besides the fact that it had something to do with Luke and escaping. She wanted to find a way for her entire barrack to escape, but that was stretching it. They might not even let her help them, and help was something they sorely needed.

This was a half-baked plan at best, and could take months of preparation beforehand before anyone could even _attempt_ to try out the plan. There was even a chance that they might get caught and punished, or worse, killed.

Her friends obviously shared those thought because Thaila opened her mouth-probably to protest- but instead cut Thaila off and turned to face Annabeth. His eyes were looked like the sea swirling and clashing in his iris's. His eyes bore into her soul, and his voice was deeper than she had expected.

"And what can you offer?" He asked her simply, voice smooth velvet. Annabeth studied him, hoping to catch an emotion-any emotion-but she could see nothing.

Annabeth narrowed her eyes at him, but smirked at the challenge. "A better plan for one thing,"

* * *

Character: Nationality: Job:

_Percy Jackson - Russian - Bomb-making_

_Rachel Elizabeth Dare - Russian - Oracle (travels to the Front (the front lines of the war)) and brings back news, good or bad_

_Chiron - Russian - Resistance Leader_

_Clarisse La Rue - Russian - Resistance Soldier_

_Will Solace - Russian - Resistance Nurse/Doctor_

_Thanatos_ _\- Russian - Resistance Leader_

_Annabeth Chase - Ukrainian - Hospital Duty_

_Hazel Levesque_ _\- Ukrainian - Mrs. Hera's helper_

_Piper McLean - Ukrainian - Hospital Duty_

_Thaila Grace - Polish - Bomb-making_

_Luke Castellan - Polish - Special Job (the one Percy was supposed to get)_

_Jason Grace - Polish - ?_

_Silena Beauregard - Polish - Cleaning Duty/Kitchen Duty_

_Ethan Nakamura - Greek_ _\- Kitchen Duty_

_Kronos_ _\- German - General for the Nazi's_

_Zoe Nightshade - German - Bomb-making_

_Calypso Nightshade - German - Hospital Duty_

_Octavian Simmons - German - Kitchen Duty (formerly said "Farmer", but I mean, come on)_

_Nico DiAngelo - Italian - Undercover resistance agent_

_Bianca Di Angelo - Italian - ?_

_Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano - Jewish - ?_

_Leo Valdez - Coming Soon_

_Frank Zhang - Coming Soon_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The dates done do fuck me up like they done did. And the flashback took three DAYS. But Percy and Annabeth are meeting for the first time. And don't worry. The bird thing is coming. I feel like I've been leading you all on.
> 
> Do you guys want a Valentine's day one-shot? Also, any ideas for Leo and Frank job/nationality? So, next chapter will be 'The Day Before the Escape; Percy's Side' and then 'The Escape' parts one and two which together will be about 10,000+ words, making each chapter 5,000+ words. So, don't expect another update this month, but do expect two updates in March. I will be uploaded one-shots, so I won't be completely off the radar. I included the Person/Job/Nationality thing again, and I'll keep doing it until it's completed, and then maybe one more chapter after that so you know who's who.
> 
> -Desk


	8. The Day Before the Escape; Percy's Side

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percy's side of the day before the escape, plus some new characters!

_Title :_ A little birdy told me

_Fandom :_ PJO/HoO

_Warnings :_ Same-sex love, suicidal thoughts, blood, gore, attempted suicide, war, PTSD

Guys, very important note. I am not German. All facts from my story come from a World War II book and read, as well as research I have done. I won't start telling people to wear Swastika's, but please do not start a flame war in the comments or something about how "Evil Germans are," or how "I should repent for daring to wring 'Nazi' or 'Swastika'". Don't. Just don't.

_Summary :_ Annabeth never talks to anyone. Not since the soldiers came. She writes a note, all her hopes are dreams on it, ties it to a bird, and watches it fly off. She is shocked when a response comes, Who is it?

Percy is a resistance nurse (He prefers a doctor) when one day and bird with a note attached shows up at his base. When he sends a note back, he is surprised when someone responded. Who is it?

Percabeth (World War II Au)

_Characters : _Percy Jackson, Frank Zhang, Leo Valdez, Reyna Avila Ramirez-Arellano, Hazel Levesque, Jason Grace, Annabeth Chase, Octavian Simmons, Rachel Elizabeth Dare, Thaila Grace, Luke Castellan, Bianca Di Angelo, Ethan Nakamura, Nico DiAngelo, Chiron, Selena Beauregard, Clarisse La Rue, Will Solace, Thanatos, Kronos, Hera, Piper McLean, Calypso Nightshade, Zoe Nightshade, Alex Fierro, Zia Rashid

_Parings :_ Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Nico di Angelo/Will Solace, Hazel Levesque/Frank Zhang, Calypso/Leo Valdez, Jason Grace/Piper McLean, Clarisse La Rue/Chris Rodriguez, Juniper/Grover Underwood, Luke Castellan/Octavian, Reyna Avila Ramirez-Arellano/Thaila Grace

**The Day Before the Escape; Percy's side**

_A little birdy told me_

Chapter Six

Percy wasn't happy. He knew he wasn't showing it on his face, and he hoped that he wasn't. This 'Annabeth' person comes from the shadows where Percy had been watching her the whole time, disses on his plan as if she knows all about it, and then tries to force herself into the plan. Who does that? Seriously, who?

His conclusion? She was proud and borderline rude. Oh, and Percy didn't like her one bit. She talked too much. Way too much. The whole point of them meeting at night was so they didn't draw too much attention to themselves, but here they were. Possibly drawing attention to themselves.

Percy felt his eyes twitch subconsciously as Annabeth continued to ramble about slowly transporting items outside of camp so there wouldn't be too much to escape with. Percy wanted to gag. As if they hadn't been doing that for the past three months. Percy had even managed to contact, with the begrudgingly accepted help of Nico, his cousin, and father and inform him of Luke's plan: Operation Blow Everything Up. The name was a work in progress.

First, they had started transporting supplies out of the concentration camp, but this soon proved to be a problem as they could only take small items out at a time. To help with this, Percy asked Thanatos if he would store buried supplies in various rendezvous points in the forest. Then they wouldn't have to transport as much stuff out of the camp. They also needed hospital items, which was easier than expected. No one asked any questions if you asked for bandages. They just looked at you sympathetically. Percy would nod politely, but he didn't like sympathy. It was kind of gross, like actually talking to your parents about how your day was gross. Percy shuddered at the thought of having to confide in people. Especially people he didn't know (Will generally made him talk about his feelings, but Percy had still gotten good at evading questions. Even still, talking to people. About _feelings_ ). They also needed a map of the camp. Slowly, with small scraps of paper and rocks dipped in mud, they (they being Octavian, Ethan, and Alabaster and the other members of his barrack) managed to map a decent picture of the camp. It was bigger than they had thought it to be, but there were fewer guards than they should be. Most of the time, the guards were called in for breaks, to which the guards face would break out into cruel grins. Percy had yet to figure out, although he had his suspicions, and none of them were good.

Everything was essentially in order. All that was left was to carefully alert others to the plan. Breaking out a few people was fine, sure, but Luke had wanted to break everyone out. By setting bombs. Luke wanted to bomb the camp, take out the guards, and escape with the campers into the woods. To do so, the campers would have to be alerted and would have to take cover in safe spots when the bombs went off.

Unfortunately, instead of being able to talk to Thaila, Drew, and Zoe about this, he was stuck listening to the mindless blabber of Annabeth. He suspected -before Annabeth had interrupted them- that Thaila was going to ask why they were going over things they already knew. The truth was that Percy knew that Annabeth wasn't an immediate threat, but he didn't want her knowing any of their newer updates, so he settled for reviewing what was already in place.

Percy knew his eyes were soon going to glaze over with boredom unless he stepped in.

"Annabeth," He started. "Your plan is a very nice plan and all, and it's a very sensible plan- "Annabeth beamed at the praise, clearly thinking she was going to be allowed to help. Percy almost laughed, and had to use a lot of self-control not to break out laughing. "But this was already _my_ plan. My plan is just slightly better than yours," Percy ended with a compliment (or as much of a compliment as he could given the situation) to try and lessen the blow of shame for Annabeth. Even so, Annabeth's face still fell in disappointment and turned red in embarrassment. She then turned to her friends.

"Is this true?" She asked them. Thaila and Zoe nodded solemnly and Drew simply shrugged.

"I rather enjoyed watching ramble, thinking you had just stopped world hunger, or maybe even the war!" Percy said and Drew snickered.

"You looked very foolish," Drew said, agreeing with Percy's sentiments. Annabeth again turned to Thaila and Zoe, silently asking for confirmation. Again, Thaila and Zoe nodded. Annabeth huffed.

"Well," Annabeth said. "I still want to be a part of whatever plan you all are constructing here," She said firmly. Percy was close to strangling her.

"No," Thaila said. "I refuse," Thaila turned her nose up at the mere _thought_ of letting Annabeth anywhere near all of this danger. The best thing for her to do in Thaila's mind was to stay far to the side before she was taken away like Jason.

"I don't think you're the one who's really in charge here," Annabeth snapped back at her. Annabeth then turned to Percy, and Percy couldn't help but show his surprise. Him? The person she had never met? She was going to trust him? This was…this was crazy, that's what this was.

"Percy, don't you dare," Thaila warned him (so he is the boss? As Queen Elizabeth the first said, 'It is monstrous that the feet should direct the head'). "I will not have the girl who is like a baby sister dragged into this," She gestured wildly with her hands with the last word and Percy felt that that was a decent summary of…this, whatever this was. The war? Luke's plan? Percy's life? Anyone's life? It was all just this thing, like the interesting-looking piece of meat Percy had found in his stew yesterday and had thrown in a nearby bush when no one was looking.

"I'm not a kid, Thaila," Annabeth protested. Thaila snorted unconvinced and raised a skeptical eyebrow in Annabeth's direction. Annabeth huffed indignantly.

"I'm not!" Annabeth defended. "I'm sure I'm even older than him!" She gestured towards Percy furiously as if being older was an accomplishment.

"I'm fourteen," Percy stated, unmoving, simply staring at Annabeth incredulously. "And if you think age is such an important factor, by all means, share what good age is without wisdom, knowledge, and a _plan_ ," Annabeth blushed, probably realizing that her earlier statement was wrong, and at the humiliation, Percy had given her. She didn't strike Percy as someone who liked to be wrong, so it wasn't a surprise to Percy that she retaliated quickly.

"Okay, you're a year older than me. What difference does it make?" She asked, throwing her hands up exasperatedly. "I bet you don't even know where Luke is!" She said, as if not knowing where someone was made so much of a bigger difference (it did).

Percy thought to himself quietly. "I'll admit, I don't know where he is," Percy said finally. He looked up at Annabeth. "Do you?" Percy asked Annabeth. Annabeth smiled wide like she was finally happy to be of some use, although Percy was skeptical. He wasn't sure if Annabeth knew where Luke was. Maybe she only had a vague hunch or was planning to get the information somehow.

"I'll tell you if you let me join your team," Annabeth said. Percy raised an eyebrow. Was this her attempt at blackmail? Percy was pretty sure he could be able to figure out where Luke was on his own without having to rely on Annabeth, but he was curious to see where this would lead, so he indulged her.

"You'd risk the life of your friend just so you can feel relevant?" Percy asked her. Annabeth nodded, although a faint, pink blush dusted her cheeks.

"Fine," Percy said finally after staring at Annabeth for what felt like forever. Annabeth breathed out a sigh of relief. "Welcome to the Merry Band. Where's Luke?" Percy questioned her, not wanting to waste any more time with her petty squabble.

"Straight to the point, I see," Annabeth mumbled under her breath. "I don't know exactly where he is," Percy's other eyebrow went up (how long had his eyebrows been raised?), "But I do know what job he has here," Annabeth said as if knowing but not knowing was such an important fucking accomplishment. Which it wasn't.

"Oh? And what's that?" Percy asked. He was trusting (as if he trusted her to begin with) Annabeth less and less as her… _facts_ , as she thought they were, were turning out to be half-baked guesses and hypotheticals.

"I wouldn't act so cocky," Annabeth glared at him, angrily. Percy rolled his eyes.

"Please, shut up," Percy requested of her. "Your voice is giving me a migraine," Annabeth snarled at him.

"You're going to snarl at me? After I so graciously let you join our team after you were willing to let your friend die?" Percy reminded Annabeth of their previous conversation.

"You don't need to be rude about it," came Annabeth's weak reply. Percy wanted to laugh. The mouse was backed into a corner by the cat and only had two options: Get eaten or get trapped by the mousetrap.

"Don't I?" Percy said snarkily.

Zoe cleared her throat as she glared at both of them. Percy glared right back at her.

"Should we leave? Give you two some privacy?" Zoe asked the both of them sarcastically. "Boys sometimes," She muttered under her breath as if _she_ wasn't the one who came to meet a _boy_ out of her own free will.

"Annabeth isn't acting like a pretty flower either," Drew hissed back at her. _Thank you, Drew_ , Percy thought. At least someone has sense here. This had to be how Chiron felt when Percy pestered him about every. Fucking. Little. Thing.

"Guys," Thaila interrupted the four of them now before they caused another war amid a war. "Seriously, talk quieter. Do you want to be caught?"

Drew and Zoe clamped their mouths shut. Percy started to pull at the white of his hair like he always did when he was nervous.

"Thank you," Thaila told them. "Where's Luke, Annabeth?" Thaila whispered, turning back towards Annabeth.

Annabeth's face softened as she looked at Thaila. "Silena told me they gave him the safe job," Percy's eye twitched. He pulled on his hair harder. He wasn't sure who 'Silena' was, or how she had gotten that information, but the news wasn't good and it made Percy want to pull his hair out. Or what little had grown back after it had been shaved clean off his head.

"The what?" He asked, sure he heard that wrong. There was no way he had heard that correctly. It wasn't possible. And yet...

"I just told you the safe job," Annabeth hissed at him angrily. "Or do you like hearing about the suffering of others?"

Percy elected to ignore her. Her voice was like nails on his brain. Or fingernails grating down a blackboard. Percy almost winced at the memory.

"They have that here?" Zoe asked, horror evident in her eyes.

"Apparently," Percy said. Thaila narrowed her eyes at Percy.

"You don't even sound sorry!" Thaila accused him. "Do you even care?"

"Of course, I do!" Percy snapped. "You think- "Percy snapped his mouth closed. He went back to pulling his hair in frustration now instead of nervousness.

"I think what?" challenged Thaila, glaring at him dangerously.

"I think what?" Percy mocked Thaila under his breath.

"Excuse me?" Thaila asked sharply. Percy's lip twitched, and he bit back a sarcastic remark. _Calm yourself, Percy_ , he told himself. _Angering your allies will not help you_

"Nothing, nothing," He muttered and sighed, not wanting to start (another) fight between them. He looked up at the sky and saw the first rays of sunlight shining down on them. "It's almost morning. We can talk later,"

"'We' includes me, correct?" asked Annabeth sharply, eyeing Percy suspiciously. Percy rolled his eyes at her antics.

"If her majesty deems it to be," He said sarcastically. Annabeth glowered at him. Percy's eyes returned to the sun, peaking through the clouds.

"I have to go. Another time," He told them. He turned around and darted off into the waking sky, turning around once just in time to see Thaila, Drew, Zoe, and Annabeth (all girls. Seriously, was there any one of the same-sex he could interact with? (besides the people in his barracks)).

...

"Where were you?" Octavian demanded when he returned to his barrack. Percy rolled his eyes. He didn't want to deal with Octavian and his annoying questions about where he was, and the plan, and Luke. He had already been pushed to the edge with Annabeth's bullshit, and he didn't have time to deal with another blonde getting all up in his business.

"Hell," Percy told him. "I tripped on a piece of string on the floor and fell to hell,"

Octavian rolled his eyes. "No one asked for your sarcasm," He pointed out. Percy batted his eyelashes at him mockingly.

"I know, but I'm so much of a saint I'll give it to you for free," Percy smiled at Octavian warmly -and then flipped him the bird. Octavian glared harshly at him, and Percy offered him a confused smile.

Alabaster snorted and quickly covered up his laugh with a cough. Ethan was biting his lip so hard Percy thought it might split, and Magnus was wringing the sheets, trying to do anything but laugh. The entire barrack was holding in its laughter like a balloon, and Percy was going to make this balloon pop.

Octavian seemed to struggle with what he wanted to say next. "Just- "He stopped. "Are we ready? Do you know where Luke is?" Percy's face softened.

The boy was so hopelessly in love (even if he or any of his friends didn't notice it), and Percy didn't want to be the bearer of bad news, but he also didn't want to keep Octavian holding on to any hope that Luke might be safe.

"He has the safe job," Percy told him quietly and Octavian reared back and turned away from him. Percy reached out for Octavian's shoulder but pulled back before he could touch him.

"I'm sorry," Percy told him, sitting next to Octavian. Somehow, the both of them had ended up on one of the beds.

"It's not your fault," came Octavian's reply. "He couldn't have known what would happen to him. None of us could. They called him for work one day and-," Octavian shrugged half-heartedly. "He didn't come back,"

"You know, it's okay to cry," Percy told him.

"I'm not crying!" Octavian protested with tears in his eyes. Percy took his finger and wiped a tear from under Octavian's eye and showed the sorrowful boy his glistening finger, and raised his eyebrow. Octavian huffed.

"Fine. I'm crying a _little_ ," Percy stared at him. "Okay, a lot," Octavian conceded.

Behind them, Alabaster sniffed. "Are you going to cry too?" Percy asked him.

"No," Alabaster said, sniffing again. Percy reached out with his free hand, beckoning towards Alabaster. Before any of them knew it, all the boys of barrack twelve were hugging and crying into each other's arms.

"We'll get Luke back?" the youngest out of them, Magnus, asked. Percy shifted some on the creaky bed to face him.

"I'll do my best," Percy assured him. He didn't want to promise something he couldn't give. He had let it happen once before and paid the price. He wouldn't let it happen again.

"We all will," Octavian said firmly. "We'll do whatever we can to help," Alabaster and Ethan nodded.

"But you have to trust us," Beckendorf said from above them, decidedly not participating in the cuddle-party below him.

"I don't," Percy said firmly but cleaned up his answer a bit when he saw the hurt look on his friend's faces. "Not yet. I'm not used to people I don't know. But I want to trust you. And I want you to trust me," Percy said, looking at every one of them, his green iris swirling with emotion.

"We want to trust you too," came Frank's muffled voice from beneath the pile. Percy rolled his eyes.

"Can you get off me? This is getting a bit ridiculous," He muttered grumpily. They all shifted until they could sit comfortably.

"We can do this," Percy said, breaking the still silence that had overtaken them. "We _will_ do this. We have to," Outside, Percy heard the faint chirping of a bird.

"How do you know?" inquired Ethan suspiciously. A small smile danced on Percy's lips as he turned to answer Ethan.

"A little birdy told me,"

…

"So, can we talk now?" was the first thing out of Thaila's mouth when Percy boarded the train for their usual ride to the factory where they would spend the majority of the day making bombs.

"Without Annabeth?" questioned Percy suspiciously. Considering how hard Annabeth had advocated, it made him wary that she wouldn't have thought of this outcome. Thaila, however, rolled her eyes at what she thought was Percy's attempt to stall.

"I already told her that I would inform her of any updates," Drew cut in before Thaila and Percy would start arguing again.

"I want you to know that us working together doesn't mean that I trust you," Thaila interjected, looking at both Zoe and Drew who nodded once in agreement, although Drew seemed more reluctant to do so. Percy nodded back at them.

"I don't trust any of you either," Percy said, and he watched the expression on Thaila's face go from annoyance and anger to genuine surprise, as if she expected Percy to trust a person, he's known for three months. _Three_ months. In a prison camp. Well, you know what they say. Keep our friends close and your enemies closer. As of now, they were…mutual allies, but that could change.

"I-…okay," Thaila said, leaning against the wall of the train car.

It was a very dull train car, although Percy wasn't expecting unicorns on the side. It was the type of car for cattle, and having them ride in it was dehumanizing and demeaning them and calling them animals. Percy wasn't surprised at this. He had been called a pig by the soldiers and slept with bedding stuffed with straw.

"We need to spread the word," Percy said after a moment. A few people in the train car looked at him strangely, but they were used to their plotting. Zoe looked at him thoughtfully.

"About what?" she questioned him.

Percy looked at the others in the train car. "Can we trust you?" one of them snorted, finding Percy's question hilarious. Percy, however, did not find it funny. He knew that had he not trusted them on some level, their planning would have been in vain. But this? This was a completely different matter.

"If we didn't trust you, you would've ratted out a long time ago," She (He?) stuck out their hand. "Alex Fierro, he/him," Thaila blanched, obviously confused.

"I'm sorry, what?" she asked, completely out of the loop. Percy too felt confused. Since when have people introduced themselves with their pronouns?

"I change my gender depending on how I feel," Alex explained at their ignorant expressions.

"Ah," Percy said simply.

"We won't have a problem with that, will we?" Alex asked sharply.

"Mark me with a pink triangle," Percy said, indifferent to Alex's threat. Alex stared at Percy for a moment before nodding. The expression, 'Mark me with a pink triangle' was a way of showing your support for the homosexuals around you. Often, when caught, they were marked with a pink triangle. Saying this showed that you too would allow yourself to be caught to aid them.

"So, can we trust you?" asked Zoe, abet impatiently.

"Yes, you can," someone else said. "Zia Rashid," She made no move for a handshake.

Percy stared into space. "This has to go perfectly," He said. "Everything depends on it,"

"Oh?" Alex questioned. "And what happens if it doesn't?"

Percy made an explosion motion with his hand. Everyone in the train car sucked in breath.

"You mean…L-Luke's p-plan is to…," Thaila didn't finished her statement, and for once, the usually tough girl seemed shell-shocked.

"That's…that's madness," Zia said, and Drew jerked her head wildly, nodding along.

"We could all die, o-or worse!" Zoe cried out, although Percy didn't know what could be worse.

"Is that really what's going to happen?" asked Drew in a small voice. The occupants of the train car turned to him. Percy could see the small shard of hope in their eyes, and like with Octavian, it hurt him to crush it.

"Yes," He answered quietly. "Everything is going to go boom,"

Percy's words suck into everyone. Percy leaned back into the wall of the train car.

"Boom," He said again, quieter. "Everything is going to go boom,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Percy's current feelings on Annabeth are...here, let me make you a diagram.
> 
> Percy = Jefferson, Annabeth = Hamilton, And yet everyone ships them together ToT (Even me, lmfao)
> 
> GUYS. PLEASE REVIEW. PLEASE. IF I DON'T GET AT LEAST FIVE REVIEWS FOR THIS CHAPTER, I'M NOT UPDATING
> 
> -Desky~

**Author's Note:**

> Additional information:
> 
> Percy is Russian, 14, part of the resistance group against the Nazi's.
> 
> Annabeth is Ukrainian, 13, who lives in a Nazi-occupied village.
> 
> More information will come as I get these chapters out.
> 
> Guys, very important note. I am not German. All facts from my story come from a World War II book and read, as well as research I have done. I won't start telling people to wear Swastika's, but please do not start a flame war in the comments or something about how "Evil Germans are," or how "I should repent for daring to wring 'Nazi' or 'Swastika'". Don't. Just don't.
> 
> -ThatOneBrokenDeskYouHadToSitOn


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